<p>I had one thing going for me though… my business (5 figures). Today my parents decided that I’m not allowed to run my business anymore… so they blocked all my websites and businesses and changed my password to my paypal. (they had it because… they literally forced me to give it to them)</p>
<p>I can’t let this die… it’s my only “impressive” ec >.>; They claim my grades suck too much so I don’t have time to run my business (it doesn’t take that long… 1-2 hours a day…they won’t listen). I’m… hyperventilating now. I’ve tried everything, and it’s just been a lot of kicking and screaming and fighting. Apparently, because they’re my parents it’s legal for them to shut down something I run entirely on my own? </p>
<p>I have no idea what to do. I’ve tried everything: mature conversation, reasoning, bargaining, begging, etc.</p>
<p>Before you ask, yes, they are the typical “superior asian parents” and their style of parenting is… literally, exactly like that. They’ve done the grade excuse in the past. Even when I was at a 4.0, because it wasn’t all A+s, they never let me do anything (so I got fed up and…tadaaaa). So the whole “raise your grades” thing won’t work, not to mention my business would be completely dead by then. </p>
<p>Thanks for any advice you can give >.< Sorry you had to read all that. I’m just really, really, really upset.</p>
<p>first take a deep breadth and calm yrslf down.anyways gettig so agitated and hecked up is not going to solve the issue at all. apologise first for yr behaviour.that is the 3 words which will break the ice.talk to parents about agreeing on curfew time .you could sit in front of them and they could open the website and you could give it one hour and they could close it after that one hour exactly.along with that promise them that you will definately work on bringing up the grades and that u realise that they are right on this issue.i know they may be overbearing and maddening at times but then they are yr parents.they have yr best interest at heart.fighting ang arguing is not going to solve the issue for sure.</p>
<p>Okay, if you were at 4.0 before and you are at 3.4 now… you must have really tanked. Your parents are… right. Options:</p>
<ol>
<li> Tell them they are right.</li>
<li> Ask if you can compromise and cut back on the number of customers or something to reduce the scale while you work to redeem your grades.</li>
<li> Set a goal for grades this semester (you are partway through, but it is still early… maybe a goal of 3.6 or something?). If you don’t meet it, tell them you will turn it off with no fuss at all at the end of the semester. Even if it is summer.</li>
<li> If none of that works, at least ask them to let you exit gracefully (if you have a web site, put a message on it about going out of business, notify customers, etc.).</li>
<li> Use this experience as a college essay topic on a hard lesson of learning to balance your time better…</li>
</ol>
<p>I think that’s unreasonable, but of course I only know your side of the story. Maybe you could try to find evidence of schools that would be impressed with your business? Show evidence to your parents of your increased maturity and skills gained by running a business? Good luck.</p>
<p>EDIT: Both of the previous posters had excellent answers.</p>
<p>What’s the business? Perhaps there are other options, such as bringing on a partner who could help to reduce your workload. Or perhaps you could get school credit for it as an independent study in marketing, microeconomics, or something business-related.</p>
<p>Are you saying that your grades slipped because your parents were on you for not being good enough? Time to grow up a bit. Getting good grades is for YOU, not for them. If you are capable of doing better, you owe it to YOURSELF to do as well as possible. Allowing your grades to drop because your parents are overbearing does not hurt them. It hurts you.</p>
<p>It sounds like you really enjoy your business, and that’s great. The problem is, you are still in high school. Earning five figures is nice now … but it won’t support you when you are on your own. Put the business on the back burner for now, pull your grades up, and revisit the business with your parents later.</p>
<p>Respect yourself enough to do your very best, simply because you CAN. </p>
<p>Just as an aside, my D had a young man in her high school who had a business. It took up a lot of his time, and his grades were fine but not top of the class. He got accepted to Harvard without top grades (or stellar SAT scores). Why? Because his business grossed more than a million a year. That’s when it makes sense to spend time on a business! :)</p>
<p>1) By no means can your grades be considered “low”. Low would be 2.0 UW. You have a solid B+/A- depending on whether you consider weighted or unweighted values.</p>
<p>2) Who helped you set up that business? Do you have a lawyer who can explain to your parents the implications of their deciding to close your business? This may not be within their purview, even though they wish it were. Closed or open, you also need to get together with an accountant to sort out the taxes that your business owes.</p>
<p>3) What kind of “five figures”? High enough to support yourself on? Something that could put you through college? Something that has the potential to make a down payment on a new house for your parents if they would just back off a bit?</p>
<p>4) Do you have clients/customers who are depending on your work? Did your parents give you time to finish out any projects for those clients, or did your parents merely pull the plug on your computer (so to speak)? At the very least, you owe your clients/customers a formal statement about “reducing the volume of your activity” so that they have time to find another source of the work/product you have been creating/delivering. You need to discuss this with your parents. They should turn your accounts back on long enough for you to shut the business down properly.</p>
<p>Personally, I don’t know what to say, but that’s horrible behavior by your parents, IMHO. Screaming is one thing, but if there is physical abuse, like kicking or physical fighting, call the police. </p>
<p>I personally don’t care for this whole approach to punishing (or rewarding) kids for grades. I assume that it’s an honest legal business (I’d rather my kids fail than cheat). The education is for you. You have to want it. I want my kids to want it. If they want it and do their best as they define it, then whatever grades they get is fine by me. But if they don’t want it, but are good people and have another direction they’d prefer to pursue, that’s fine by me also. I feel that you need to learn to love learning because it’s something you’re going to do every day for the rest of your life. You want to want it because you want to get good at it. Taking away something like your business, which I’m sure is something that you’re very proud of, is way over the top counter productive in my opinion because it’s an attempt to get you to do something you don’t want to do by destroying something meaningful to you. It’s like killing your dog because you didn’t get an A+. It’s abusive. You’re in high school, you need to learn how to make good decisions on your own. That includes needing to make mistakes on your own. I’m not even sure you made any mistakes. Your business could grow to a billion dollar business, who’s to say it won’t. </p>
<p>The only thing I can suggest is 1) try to get the site back up anyway, and 2) remember that you learned how to do it the first time, you know how to do it again. Don’t worry about it as an EC, worry about it as something that’s meaningful to you. I feel for you.</p>
<p>To clarify things up. My grades have gone up, it’s on an upwards trend. My weighted gpa is much higher this year though (took honors my whole life, and my school doesn’t weight them…even though they are much harder than our AP classes). The low grades are from freshman year, when i fell into a bit of depression. My grades tanked from a 4.0 to…a pretty low gpa then. Also, as bad as my gpa seems, I know that at my school and with my classes, kids with that gpa range all have 2200 SAT scores at the very least. Then again, a 2200 SAT score is considered low here … about top 20% only…</p>
<p>As for the business, bobody helped me set it up, I did it all on my own since 4th grade. As for what kind of five figures… it looks like things are shooting up. Made $100 yesterday and $250 today. Either way, however, it’s low five figures (30k?) - but again, the business only takes 1-2 hours a day. </p>
<p>I’m really not aiming for harvard either. I know my GPA killed my chance at any college (and being the high sat/low gpa kid doesn’t look good either), but it’s been improving a lot. I’m at the top of my class for ap chem and honors precalc… bottom for spanish (yes, i know). </p>
<p>Anyways, I’m going off an a tangent so I’ll end my post here. Thanks for the advice and criticism - it helped a lot! I’m a bit less agitated now and I’m hoping I’ll get through to them. :)</p>
<p>At least they are not forcing you to spend the hour that you would be running the business practicing the piano or violin (but no other instrument allowed)… (or are they?)</p>
<p>In any case, if they insist on shutting down your business, it is reasonable to shut it down in an orderly fashion (close out any incomplete transactions, etc.).</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus
OMG me too! My dad makes me play the piano, I hate it! So much! I mean it’s a great skill I guess, but I DO NOT LIKE IT! I rather play drums. I’ve been playing piano for 12 years of my life. I’m 16… Only 4 yearS have I been happy.</p>
<p>Tell them that when they are old and infirmed you will put them in a really bad home for the elderly where they will be pinched by the attendants. One of my kids said that with a very serious look – actually it was much worse than pinch – and it got me thinking…some day this kid might actually have control of what dorm I live in.</p>
<p>Sounds like your parents needed to do something drastic to get you back on track. You still haven’t stated the specifics of your business. Your job at this stage of life is to learn what your parents and school can teach you. Making money shouldn’t- ever- be your primary goal. “Only” 1-2 hours per day is too much time taken from study time. </p>
<p>I remember some of the bad behavior of my son in HS- the measures we had to take to cut off his computer access (hiding the cables, slammed doors…). I suspect you still have some maturing to do. Pay attention to Kelsmom- good advice. </p>
<p>I think the real question is what do your parents have to do to get through to YOU. Their answer was to take away the one thing that would get your attention. To regain the business priveleges (yes- priveleges, not rights) you need to prove you can learn all you can- this is shown by improved grades you are capable of. You have misplaced values that need correcting. I suspect your business is not one I would value.</p>
<p>You would not fair well in our house either. I’m surprised your parents let you focus on making money instead of so many other more enriching activities. I could go on, but enough said. Your interpretation of things sounds very childish.</p>
<p>And if any of you kids think for a micro second that I am depending on my kids for my old age care, you are crazy. They would have to show them selves able to do it and compatible with my views. Even more reason to put money in my old age fund instead of the college fund if any of mine were stupid enough to say anything like that.</p>