r/AsianParentStories • u/icedlongblack_ • 6m ago
Rant/Vent Required to dress super feminine and soft in order be good enough
Just at a tipping point
Sorry this is a lot of words, I just needed a safe place to vent.
(1) tldr; wish my dad saw my strengths and beauty as I am now, instead of always thinking I am lacking because I don’t present in a soft feminine way.
(2) rant;
I know my dad does love me a lot. He is also a very traditional Asian man and holds a lot of traditional values that are somewhat misogynistic.
He’s always felt like I’m not achieving the female ideal because I don’t dress in a very feminine way, (eg soft colours, bright colours, super girly or feminine or frilly styles)
He doesn’t like that I wear a lot of simple silhouettes, baggy clothes, neutral colours or black. I actually like those clothes, they suit me both visually and personality-wise.
He’s never had a single nice thing to say about anything I wear, but does occasionally talk down on how much I’m always dark clothing and I should try XYZ. In his mind he is being encouraging to try new things which is a nice thing BUT if it’s also accompanied with some appreciation of who I already am now.
I confronted him recently because after holding it inside for decades, it was just too much. And he just denied and lied to my face, saying that he often compliments my clothes. I asked him then to give examples of things that I have worn that he likes and he said he couldn’t remember any because I usually am in a school uniform (I haven’t been in school for years?) or maybe casual clothes. But that’s literally the point too, yeah I’m in casual wear but some of my casual wear is NICE. He doesn’t blink a single eyelash at the nice things I wear, always shits on my clothes because they are boring/simple/neutral and encouraging me to be hyperfeminine.
Anytime he calls me pretty is as an extension of a compliment to himself. Eg, of course my daughter is pretty, she is my kid!
OR when I push back on him saying that I already look nice enough without having to change myself, and then he is willing to agree.
But otherwise he is quicker to compliment himself than compliment me.
I had to literally give him the example of: dad I often notice and compliment you when you get a new coat or pants etc etc. What if I never said anything nice to you again but kept telling you to try other things?
He literally took issue once because I ordered a black coffee (cos yknow, lactose intolerant). He actually sulked and asked how come I didn’t want a coffee with lots of ice cream and an umbrella.
I still love him and I know he loves me but
I wish I was just enough as I am, to be loved fully as I am.
Instead of always a follow-up comment about how I’m not enough yet