How do I tell my parents to back off and let me breathe? I am the youngest of three, and let’s just say the “last” chance my parents have of having a child who graduated from a four-year university. I love my parents, I do, but I don’t necessarily love the pressure they put on me; who would? All this pressure they have on me and their expectations of me unmotivate me. I want to make them proud, but them constantly in my ear makes me want to give up. They don’t know the stress of straight A’s; they expect me to keep up. They want me to have a 4.0 GPA and no stress. They assume I have the most effortless life and shouldn’t be stressed. When I get home mentally drained and want to sleep, they get upset and call me lazy. They don’t understand how mentally draining school can be especially if they want me to have these perfect grades. I would be motivated if I felt appreciated and acknowledged for my hard work, but I’m not. I’ve tried to talk to them about it, but they won’t listen. At this point, I’m over it. I will keep working and do it for myself and my future but not overwork myself.