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“Why can’t I go out?”
“Because I said so.”
The original Article 370 of the Indian households. Special status to parents. Zero autonomy for children.
This isn’t just a phrase. It’s a generational gospel passed down with pride, like gold jewellery and suppressed emotions.
A Western Sin
If you ever dared to lock your room in a conservative Indian home, congratulations, you just committed second-degree treason.
Want to write your thoughts in a diary? “Why do you need to write when you can talk to us?” Want to mute the family group? “Tumhara attitude bahut badh gaya hai. Heaven forbid you ask for space. You instantly become the problem child with a sanskaar deficiency.
Privacy here isn’t a right. It’s seen as a side effect of English medium schooling and too much Netflix.
The National Hobby
It starts early. No pocket money without receipts. No mobile phone unless you hand over your password. But it’s not called control. It’s called care. The kind that involves tracking apps, reading your WhatsApp chats, and blaming Instagram reels for your moral decline.
And when you raise your voice? “Jab tumhare umar ke the na, tab humne kabhi aawaz nahi uthai.” Exactly, and look how well that turned out; a generation full of bottled-up trauma and perfectly ironed clothes.
The Illusion Of Choice
You can be anything you want, as long as it’s an engineer, a doctor, or a UPSC aspirant. You can marry anyone you love, as long as it’s someone we choose from the same caste and neighbourhood. You can speak your mind, as long as it doesn’t embarrass us in front of Sharma Aunty.
Every decision in your life comes with a stamp from the HR department of Indian parenting. Papa Approved. Beti Emotionally Drained.
Also Read: How To Deal With A Toxic Family Or Parents
“Because I Said So” Is Not A Parenting Strategy
It’s the ultimate shutdown; No explanation, no dialogue, no mutual respect. Just decades of power imbalance stuffed into one sentence.
Ironically, these are the same parents who want you to become mature and independent.
How exactly, when even your food preferences need committee-level approval?
A Little Less “Because I Said So”, A Little More “Because I Understand”
We are not asking to revolt. Just a little room to breathe without being called spoiled.
We want connection, not command. We want conversation, not control. You taught us to speak. Now let us talk. Not to argue, but because respect is a two-way street.
So next time you feel the urge to say “because I said so,” pause for a second.
We are not trying to escape you. We are just trying to become ourselves. Before even that becomes a “shame to the family.”
Sources: Blogger’s own opinion
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: parenting in india, indian parents, desi parenting, conservative indian families, toxic parenting, gen z india, privacy matters, control is not love, emotional health, indian family culture, generational trauma, mental health india, respect not fear, youth voices, indian satire, because i said so, parenting norms, indian homes, parent child relationship, indian household rules
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