Your friends have invited you to a party this weekend. You ask your parents if you can go, but their answer is a firm, “No.” You aren’t surprised. It’s the same answer they gave you last time.

In this article

•  Why do my parents always say no?

•  How can I get my parents to say yes?

•  What your peers say

 Why do my parents always say no?

 If it seems like your parents always deny your requests, you might conclude that they just don’t want you to have any fun.

 A teenager named Marie felt that way when she first got a phone. She says: “My dad put a lot of restrictions on which apps I could download, which people I could communicate with, and how late I could talk to them. Meanwhile, my friends could do whatever they wanted!”

 To think about: Was Marie’s dad really out to stop her from having fun? What else might he have been concerned about?

 Try this: Pretend you are a parent, and you have a teenager who just got a phone. What concerns would you have? What restrictions would you put in place to address your concerns? What would you say if your teenager said you didn’t want him (or her) to have any fun?

 “My dad always said, ‘Put yourself in my shoes as a parent.’ Doing that forced me to see not only the value of his rules but also his reasons for them. If I had kids, I think I would expect the same things of them that my dad expects of me.”—Tanya.

 How can I get my parents to say yes?

 “There are usually good intentions behind every rule. My parents aren’t trying to restrict my fun; they just want me to have the best kind of fun—the kind that doesn’t bring issues or problems.”—Ivy.

 Bible principle: “A stupid person gives vent to all his feelings, but the wise one calmly keeps them in check.”—Proverbs 29:11.

 “Be patient. It might take time for your parents to adjust a rule, but if they see you obeying the rules they have in place, they may be inclined to give you more freedoms.”—Melinda.

 Bible principle: “Be obedient to your parents in everything.”—Colossians 3:20.

 “A parent wants to see that you have good judgment. So when I talk to my parents, I try to use logic rather than emotion to state my case. When I do that, I have more success.”—Joseph.

 Bible principle: “Honor your father and your mother.”—Ephesians 6:2.