LIFE

Ugh, so you've broken the rules in a *major* way. Your parents are so angry at you and tell you that they can’t trust you anymore. They've grounded you and they’re being super strict until you can rebuild the trust with them. Now what?

Lets face it: It’s totally normal to butt heads with our parents—especially as we get older and want more freedom. But, we still live under our parent’s roof which means we’ve got to follow our parent’s rules. And if you break those rules, consequences can be tough. Here are the tools you need to show your parents you deserve their trust.

Pinpoint the problem.
One of the most important parts of gaining your parents trust back is understanding what you’ve done. So, before you work to gain back their trust, write out the reasons why they have lost trust. Did you stay out past curfew? They’re probably upset because you didn’t respect their rules or maybe they were worried about your safety. Understanding these reasons might help you to realize what you need to do.

Show a little respect.
If you haven’t already apologized to your parents, now would be the time to do so. An apology might not solve everything, but it will certainly show your parents that you respect them. Make sure to be polite and listen to what they have to say. Now would be a good time to express how you feel about the situation, but you don’t want to lose your temper either.

Follow the rules.
This might be a tough one, but an important aspect of gaining your parents trust is following their rules. Yes, all of their rules, including the ones you think are pretty silly. This way, you’re showing your parents you respect the rules that they’ve established. Showing respect for them will help them to respect you. And once respect is established, trust is not far behind.

Give it some time.
Even if you’ve spent weeks being the perfect child, rebuilding trust takes time. Things won’t change in the blink of an eye, especially if you’ve done something that’s deeply hurt your parents. If you’ve been at it for months, talk to your parents. Ask them what more you need to do to regain their trust. It could be that simple.

Have you ever been grounded for breaking your parents trust? What did you do? 

by Mallory Walker | 4/14/2019