my dad took something a very important extracurricular away from me. how do i get it back?
First, before it starts, I want to make it clear that this isn't too serious of a post. My dad isn't insane, or terrible or anything like that, just strict, and my issue is a small one, some would consider whiny which i completely understand but please be kind. I'm just asking for advice because I'm at a loss for what to do in this situation. first paragraphs is backstory, the last paragraph is explaining the actual thing i need advice on so u can skip to that if you want! i'm sorry there really aren't any paragraph breaks
Ok! So here's the situation. My dad has always been very strict about a lot of things, but in recent years it has caused much more tension in our family, between him and my mom and between him and my siblings and I. Mostly it's normal strict-parent stuff: we have to get all A's (which I do - I did get one B in a class this previous year, it was a virtual class I was taking in addition to my normal classes in high school, and I literally came home and cried about it to my parents because I didn't submit my end of year reflection on time that dropped my 97 to an 85.), we have to keep the door to our room open unless changing, we have to be in bed by 9:30pm most nights, we have lots of chores (including walking the dog, my dad refuses to because he says he didn't want the dog, folding even our parents' laundry and my mom and i are the only people who make meals - i normally make breakfast and help with all other meals my mom makes, washing all the dishes, etc) limited screentime, cant watch tv by yourself unless pre-approved, and i can't access any social media including youtube. btw, I'm going into sophomore year of high school if that matters.
In the past twoish years my dad has begun to fight and yell and get very angry, ALL the time. Every single day. Of course, there are days that are really bad and days that are not. My entire family is now used to tiptoeing around his rules, basically, trying to not get yelled at. When I get something taken away, my mom often tries to coach me to get it taken back - like how to say sorry and clean my room and what to say to convince him I'll 'be better' in the future. My dad hates this. He calls my mom a 'weak woman' very often and constantly tells her she's like her mom, my grandma, who he also calls weak. apparently my great-grandma, who he's barely met, is strong though. Basically he doesn't want me to be weak is what he says, and i agree with that sentiment, just not the methods he uses to do that. he yells at me, tells me my voice is too low, my back is not straight enough - all pretty normal and fine things for strict parents. But he also calls me an idiot, stupid, dumb and occasionally curse words at home and sometimes in public, which when he does, very loudly, in front of lots of people makes me very upset! and then i cry, and then he calls me weak for crying. and literally mocks my crying and calls me a crybaby like we're in elementary school. he calls me those things and then wonders why i act so timid or scared. he has had some really bad incidents when he gets mad - and it's all over silly things, like we didn't open the blinds or we didn't start the dishwasher or something and then it escalates and he ties it to a larger problem such as my mom spends too much or us kids are slobs. some things he has done when very angry: thrown a plate at the ground, where both him and i were standing a few feet away, pushed my mom very hard, cursed and yelled (well this is pretty normal), once told me to 'slit my wrists' - this was because i was looking up beauty tips for my face shape which he interpreted as i hate my face, so suicidal thoughts.
a little bit on that last part - i had an eating disorder for a while so i understand his fears but i feel they have been wayy overblowm, especially since i am fully healed now and NEVER had any suicidal/self-harming thoughts.
ok finally what i actually need advice on. he caught me searching up 'what is wrong with my face' ok yes i understand how that looks, how that is, and that is concerning, i agree. however this wasnt meant as a self deprecating search, i was just wanting to get a facial analysis of my face so i could try different hairstyles or makeup techniques for school, since school is starting soon. if you want more details on this part, i will answer and i acknowledge how that could be seen as very concerning to a parent. the issue is he has now taken away competive dance from me. all of it, in addition to taking my phone away but i really don't care about my phone. i would rather lose my phone until i was 18 then get competitve dance taken away. why? i've never done competitive before. i have danced for a few years, but never competitve. last year, i auditioned and made it to my school's dance team, which i was ecstatic for! two months in, he makes me quit, his reason being the practices were too early. i cried, i begged, i appealed to my mom, who also wants me to dance but she doesn't have a say really. i got nothing. my only hope was i could audition next year, and hurrah! - the coach changed practice times to the afternoon, so his point is no longer valid! so auditions come up, i go to audition - and my dad stops me at the door, i'm literally dressed for the audition, and tells me i can't. he changes it - now, i'm too stressed. i do the same pleading thing, he doesn't budge, but tells me I can definitely do competitive dance. FINE. i wanted competitive dance more anyway! i audition for that, i make it in, and for the past two months i have been going to all the summer prep things for competition season. and now, a week before the season starts - no more. he won't budge. i'm at a loss for what to do. i'm not willing to give it up. i don't want the same thing to happen! how do i convince him?
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Posted Aug 3, 2026, 1:55 PM UTC