"I'm your son, not your backup plan": 16-year-old refuses to be the nurse his parents dreamed of for him and pursues media instead, causing family hostility

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jun 30, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Hey there, creatures of the internet. Some parents put all sorts of pressures on their children. When I was growing up, I remember my parents insisting I become a doctor. Both my parents are doctors, their parents are doctors, and the family comes from a long line of doctors. I understand from their perspective that they just wanted me to follow in the family footsteps. But I took one science class and decided "no can do." Some people just aren't built for it. I ended up riding my way through university on scholarships for my art degree, much to their dismay. 


There are some people who grow up with their parents so uninvolved with their scholastics or future plans that they don't even know what kind of grades their getting. The grass is always greener, and there's no telling which lifestyle is better. In the story below, the protagonist is being pressured to pursue a future that he detests. Instead of listening to his parents, he rebels. Read the full story below. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01

    AITAH for telling my parents I’m NOT the backup child and REFUSING to take over my brother’s future???

    "I'm not your second chance"
    via Georgijevic from Getty Images Signature / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    So I (16M) have an older brother (19M) who was like the golden child growing up. Straight A's, varsity, honor roll, all that stuff. My parents basically shaped their
    via u/angusfdf

  • What would you do if you were in the protagonist's position? Would you cave and concede to your parent's pressure on your future? Or would you risk following your own path, doing it alone, and sacrifice your dignity and admit potential failure? Life is full of choices, and sometimes it's nice to have some made for you. 

  • 03
    whole lives around his success, college savings, private tutors, weekend review centers, all of it. Then... he crashed and burned. Got a girl pregnant, dropped out,
    via u/angusfdf
  • 04
    and now he's working random jobs and living back at home. It sks, yeah, but like... I get it, life happens. But ever since then, my parents have started shoving all
    via u/angusfdf
  • 05
    their expectations on me. Suddenly I'm being told I need to take nursing "because it's safe" even though I've said a million times I wanna do something in
    via u/angusfdf
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10523434752
    via pixelshot / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    media or design. They pulled me out of the art elective I LOVED and now I'm doing advanced science I didn't even sign up for. Last week, they said they were
    via u/angusfdf
  • 08
    "reallocating" my kuya's unused college funds to put ME through the same school THEY picked for him. Not asking me. Just straight up told me: "You're our only shot now. You have to make it." I
    via u/angusfdf
  • 09
    Cheezburger Image 10523434496
    via microgen from Getty Images Signature / Canva

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 10
    SNAPPED. I said, "I'm not your second chance. I'm your son, not your backup plan." My mom started crying. My dad got quiet and said I was "being ungrateful”
    via u/angusfdf
  • 11
    and that I "should feel lucky" they're even trying to help. Now the house is super tense and my kuya texted me like "Bro, just do
    via u/angusfdf
  • 12
    what they say. You'll thank them later." But I don't want their version of my future. I just want to live my OWN.
    via u/angusfdf
  • 13
    aitah for rejecting the life they planned for me even though they're "just trying to help" after everything fell apart???
    via u/angusfdf
  • 14
    Mel... NTA. No idea where you are at or how difficult it is to get into a college or what the job prospects are in media.
    via u/Melodic-Skin9045
  • 15
    Take a hard look at the last one because many student;s in the US took out huge loans for careers that are just not there.
    via u/Melodic-Skin9045
  • 16
    Immontes Ask them if they would prefer if you ended up pulling out (or not, no pun intended) of their plans like your brother did. You
    via u/Immontes
  • 17
    shouldn't be forced into something you don't want to do. I'm sorry they pulled you out of a class you truly enjoyed. I'm an educational
    via u/Immontes
  • 18
    psychologist and am against what they are doing. Feel free to show them this and other comments. Any chance you could get scholarships and stuff
    via u/Immontes
  • 19
    without their support? Talk to a guidance counselor just to discuss options if you go against their wishes? Keep open conversations with the teacher from the class you were pulled from. It's no
    via u/Immontes
  • 20
    wonder your brother dropped out. Wonder if he wasn't happy with THEIR choices that should be HIS and YOURS. Perhaps remind them that if you are forced to go their way you can/will go no contact the moment you are able to.
    via u/Immontes
  • 21
    Edit: Forgot to include NTA in any way.
    via u/Immontes

Tags

family drama drama toxic family feud relationships lol love family reddit thread Reddit funny college dating
Scroll Down For The Next Article