The Five Most Annoying Things Your Family Can Do to You (And How To Escape Them!)

Are you an irritated only child surrounded by overprotective parents and family 24/7? Or an older or younger child with a constantly nagging sibling? Then this article is for you! From escaping embarrassing bear hugs, to how to snag the TV remote for yourself, this listicle tells you everything you need to know about dealing with a completely dysfunctional family. Read on to discover the simple but life-changing art of managing a family in which you might be the only sane person (no comments).

1. Squirming Through Bear Hugs 

I mean, come ON. You're not six anymore. Do they still think you're their 'little darling’ to get those hugs IN FRONT of ALL your friends? Luckily for all children of those parents out there, there is a solution. Simply give something heavy - if you don't have something heavy, just give anything you have- for your parents to hold and GET OUT OF THERE! 

But if your parents are multi-armed aliens (hey, it could happen), I'm sorry, no remedies for you.

2. The Art of Flattery

How to show not-so-spectacular report cards to parents with a temper shorter than a termite: NEVER show a bad exam result when your parents are in a bad mood and always start off by saying something nice about your parents, or something bad about yourself.

Slowly ease them into a good mood, then meet your doom (no hard feelings)…

3. Taking Responsibility

Either they are rock bottom or sky high. One minute you are getting hugs like you're two years, and the next minute you're supposed to babysit little brats like you're twenty years. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

One way to win your way in this dilemma: just tell your parents you have homework.

Okay, I get that some of you people are not exactly a fan of homework, but, hey, you can always go back and be irritated by a little brat.

4. Getting Your Own Way

No matter how much you try to not complain about your parents’ food choices, let’s face it, eating burnt broccoli as birthday candy has to make you snap at some point. So how do you make them give you actual KitKat? Well, you make a deal. I know your mind voice is, ‘What?’ But hey, you have to practice your business skills frequently. You promise your parents to do chores, and, bang, you get candy in return. Again, most of us aren’t exactly fans of doing chores, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

5. Getting That TV Time

Again, getting your inhuman siblings (or even parents) to give you the remote is not a talent everyone is good at. But it’s simple. All you need to do is tease your siblings, and they will run screaming/ crying to their room. That, not making a strawberry milkshake for them, is the true path to success.

Or, if they're that tough, simply tell them someone is calling them, and they will go, leaving you to enjoy your TV time.

A family is not always perfect - people fight, quarrel, play irritating jokes, but in the end, it always resolves, and maybe you even get a mouthwatering family dinner (maybe even chocolate mousse). So, sit back, chill, and go with the flow (if things get extreme, you always have these tips!). And there’s always no harm in causing a little family trouble (AKA trying out these tips).

Written by Mathivathani I.M., a 6th grader at Budding Minds International School, Chennai

This article was written for and published in The BMIS Buzz, a student-run publication curated by the students of Budding Minds International School, Chennai, as part of the Young Writers Program