Opinion by J1 Reporter Blaire Kratochvil

“Do you need something to do to make yourself busy?” These are the words I often hear when I sit on the couch for a split second. My parents are the best people in the world, however, sometimes they truly don’t recognize all I do.

There has always been a stereotype that teenagers just don’t think that parents understand them. Some of this is true. Even though parents know almost everything about their children, they don’t always process our complicated lives.

Everyone knows that being a high school student can be hard. After roughly eight hours at school and around two and a half hours of a sport, I know I am exhausted. This may result in my body plopping onto a couch and watching one of my favorite shows. This immediately grabs the attention of one of my parents and leads them rushing into the room to see if their eyes are fooling them.

Asking if you have finished your homework or offering new activities usually follow. Yes, I might have a few papers and a couple tests to study for, but for now, I plan on watching an episode of “The Office”.

The feeling of being misunderstood starts here. Anyone would want a break after a long day, but for some reason parents don’t consider teens to have overwhelming days.

High school students nowadays also have clubs, volunteering, sports, and daily homework. This leads to loads of stress and late nights.

If I become a potato on the couch for more than two hours, let the badgering begin.

It could be that our parents did not have as busy lives as us or that they are simply looking out for us to succeed. However, it is important that parents analyze our day before immediately beginning to nag our heads off.