39.
“My parents were pretty critical and judgmental as I was growing up. They were young parents when I was born and there has always been a strange ‘competitive’ nature to their parenting style. I learned pretty early in life that if I found something I truly enjoyed, like playing an instrument or learning about a particular subject, the quickest way to ruin that for myself would be to tell my parents. It would, at that point, cease to be a labor of love and become a sport with a scoreboard. There would be regimens and benchmarks and expectations for me to ‘prove’ my dedication to things I only ever wanted to peacefully enjoy.”
“They are incredibly warm and thoughtful people, and I’ve never once doubted their love for me or my siblings. They are just not capable of watching my life’s journey unfold without trying to take the wheel. So I don’t let them in ‘the car’ anymore, and at the end of the day we’re all happier for it.”
—u/Important-Cranberry3
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/pernellquilon/secrets-men-are-hiding-from-parents