Dear parents,

I've been thinking about this for some time and thought it would be easier to put it into words, so here's what I want to say...

I want space to control my own life decisions.

This is not a me issue but of my generation. The pandemic has put things into perspective; losing everything, being forced to stand still and making too much banana bread has really shun a light on what's important. But on a serious note, we've all spent too much time dwelling on the thought of putting a tick next to major life goals such as having a respectable job, owning a home or being in a stable relationship.

A lot of these have arisen from moving back home; where we are constantly reminded of all the life goals that we're “supposed” to hit before the age of 30. It's not fair to compare our lives to your version of what success looks like. Which is being married at 20, a house at 22 and a first child at 25. All of which sounds so out of reach in this 21st-century world (have you seen the prices of houses?!). This has definitely been a regular topic of conversation that has been dodged many times.

As 20-somethings, the majority of us don’t see a family or settling down as a priority as you did at our age. Our generation is more career-driven, it's harder than ever to get onto the property ladder and relationships aren't easy as they once were. Plus the game of life has changed and your accomplishments and ours are on different time schedules. Along with the luxury of choice, money and freedom allowing us to not settle on one single path, whether that be chasing career goals or travelling to experience other cultures and meeting new people. This means our objectives are ever-changing.

All this to say, we need you to understand that the life you have envisioned for us is unrealistic in the current era. We as a whole should talk openly about expectations to avoid disappointment down the line. We ask you to just let us create our own path to follow and imprint our footsteps.

Finally, thank you for your guidance, we know it's coming from a good place and we do take on the advice. At the end of the day, we all need to focus on what makes us happy and live life according to our expectations.

Live, Love, Laugh,

Nim