Question : I am 18 yearls old and I just finished school. I want to study further and become a lawyer. But my parents are forcing me to get married and they have also started looking for guys for me. This is making me very upset and I don’t know what to do.
Dear Teentalker,
Thank you for sharing your concern with us. I can imagine that you have aspirations to build a career of your choice and become independent. At a very young age, taking up the responsibility of marriage can be overwhelming and doing so against your will is certainly unfair.
I want to let you know that as a young and budding woman, it’s important for you to pursue your choice of career, which in your case is law. I understand that your parents are disagreeing with your view and wish to have you married. At this point, as difficult as it might be, it’s important to let them know how you feel about marriage and that you don’t feel ready for the same. You can be assertive with them and maybe tell them that you wish to study further so that you can take care of yourself in the future.
Try to use the following statements if you think they’ll help. “I understand that you wish the best for me and my future, and so do I.” “It hurts me when I see that you are okay with forcing me to do something I don’t want to do.” “I care about myself and wish to become stable and independent before taking on the responsibility of another human being.” “Please allow me to share my plan for education and future with you.”
Don’t give up. Keep trying your best and if needed, try to seek someone else’s help like a teacher, a trusted friend, another relative who may understand your situation. Education is important and you have the right to pursue it.
Hope this helps. If you wish to discuss your query further, please chat with us from Monday through Saturday between 11am to 6pm or leave us an offline message.
Regards,
Expert Teentalk India