My family seems to be trying to control my life
So I downloaded Reddit cause I need answers from people who would be non biased. For a bit of info, I'm a 17F and I'm working on applying to colleges.
I've been a sheltered kid all my life and usually the one out of me and my sister to do what I'm told with little issue. Recently, I've been trying to push back but every time I try to just discuss my wants, it turns into an argument.
Every career I've thought about except Marine Biology and Law, my family has been against, primarily my dad. He wants me to go into
something that HE wants me to do. The career I'm most passionate about is fashion design. I'm even going to make my own prom dress. He thinks it's a terrible idea to have fashion design as a major.
I understand a parent wanting the best for their child but he is set on me not making a single mistake. He wants me to make it rich and I just don't really care about income. I mean, I would like it to pay well, but I just wanna do what makes me happy.
My father is also against me moving out and he is disabled and can't walk, but my sister is literally his caregiver. She doesn't seem to really care though cause from what I see, she just sits on the couch on her phone all day.
I live in a household of 6 and I hate it. I'm the one everyone seems to see as the perfect girl and they all yell at me when I'm not.
My family is one reason I wanted to move to Chicago with a friend so we could split bills and do college together, and everyone in my household was incredibly adamant about me not going. I even just said I want to live in a dorm at a college close by and my dad was put off by it.
For the record, he WANTS to pay for my college. I've told him I'm fine with getting a job and paying myself, lots of people do it, but he was adamant cause I'd be the first in my family to get a degree.
I'm also not the most courageous, so if I try to stand my ground, the disappointment from my family makes me fold quickly.
I feel so stuck and hopeless that I'm debating not going to college if I can't do what I want.
This sorta ended in a rant about my problems, sorry. I just need some sort of insight or ideas of how or what to do.
If I seem like I'm the problem, please tell me cause I sorta feel like I am, like I'm overanalyzing everything everyone says or does.
Posted Sep 22, 2026, 9:37 PM UTC