It's only fair to unwind after a long day of work, study, or strenuous tasks. A reward system is a perfect way to keep your body motivated, knowing it has something fun to look forward to.
As the school year begins, OP finds himself working hard to study. However, he wishes to spend his free time playing video games. Still, his family would rather have him do something else.
Game Time vs. Family Time
OP has dedicated virtually all of his time to studying. He has big plans on getting into medical school, and that means he has very little free time — especially during the first week of classes.
But that's not the only reason he doesn't spend time with his family. By the time OP is done studying for the day, he is exhausted. He doesn't have the energy to deal with his annoying siblings or his verbally abusive father, who barely makes time for him anyway.
So at the end of the first week of classes, OP decided to play Valorant, a first-person shooter game, with some friends after finishing his schoolwork. But just before he could start, he realized it was dinner time, so OP went down to have dinner with his family first. He figured he would just go back to playing after he ate.
“Waste of Time”
However, OP was asked to spend more time with his family beyond dinner.
But between all of his actual friends being online — friends who understood him and he enjoyed spending time with, unlike his family. For OP, spending more time with his family would be nothing more than a waste of time. So, he told her he wanted to go play games with his friends instead.
Now, OP's mom is offended. It doesn't stop OP from feeling fed up with his family and their lack of understanding of his needs. He works hard; he needs time to relax, and time with his family is the opposite of that. From now on, he's going to try and do everything he can to avoid them if they're going to keep being angry when he communicates his needs.
Except now he's wondering if he's in the wrong.
Viewers Online Lend Their Voices
u/Nutterbutter1, who is also a dad, thinks it's only age appropriate.
“NTA. I'm a dad, and I understand that as a teenager, it's natural for you to push for more independence and want to spend more time with friends and less time with family. Nothing wrong with that. And nothing wrong with spending time with your friends online and/or playing games.
Your mom needs to understand that this is just a natural part of growing up and that if she's cool, you will naturally come back around later on (in your early 20s, probably).”
However, u/Elegant_Spot_3486 thinks OP is TA.
“YTA for saying that watching a movie with your family is the biggest waste of time in the world. I get it; you're 14 and have other priorities, but smile, watch the movie, tell your family you love them and then go game and/or study.”
Some may argue that it is understandable for him to prioritize his studies and goals to have a better future. Others may say that he should make more of an effort to spend time with his family and balance his commitments. Regardless of one's stance, it is clear that there is a disconnect between OP and his family. There's a need to have open and honest communication to find a solution that works for everyone. Do you think OP is TA?
This thread inspired this article.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Boloere Seibidor, fondly called B.S. is a Nigerian-based writer and poet. Her favorite topics to cover include music, especially Hip-Hop, film, lifestyle, and fashion. She's been published by Feral Journal, Fantasy Magazine, The Temz Review, and most notably, Wealth of Geeks. She enjoys romantic dinners, movie nights, and touring new sites. When she's not writing, she's delving back in time to the underground world of Hip-Hop, watching TikTok, or visiting the cinema.