"Umm Mom I..."

This quote is always followed by some sort of phrase that your parents definitely do not want to hear.

I must have said this phrase to my mom at least 50 times in my college career, and the words following ranged from the outrageous (got a tattoo in Italy) to the mundane (went to work) to the slightly less outrageous (got a dog). And yet each and every time I am always stressed out for days before (because generally by the time I am telling my mother I have done or decided to do what I am telling her) telling her for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON!!

So fellow college students, this post is going to be dedicated to How to Tell Your Parents the Important Stuff Without Sweating The Small Stuff (I like the caps, I feel they lend more importance to my statement) okay so here it goes.

Let's say you want to get a dog- because this is exactly what I just did- you need to explain to your parents (or parent or the person who is paying your bills) that you are ready for the responsibility and have carefully thought this out and blah blah blah...

Now while I do agree that asking parents for money often requires a lot of groveling, pleading and begging, there are a lot of other things that will make them give you the green for with a lot less anxiety. 

First show your parents you are responsible--do your homework, make the deans list, show them that your apartment can actually look like somewhere that is inhabitable instead of the next HAZMAT site.  

After you have done this show them how you will be able to afford a puppy or that new stereo. Will you get a new job? Do you have the time to take care of the pet and if not have you made arrangements for someone else to do so? Etc. 

Hopefully your parents will fall so in love with your new puppy (as my mom did) that they really won't ask any questions at all. 

Dee Dee was rescued!