Stacey and J Sbu: "Will our parents ever understand our jobs?"
We love our parents but talking about work can be extra exhausting!
Every time you hop on to Instagram, you're bound to see at least one post that has the caption, "Expectation vs reality".
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You might swipe through some posed pictures before landing on another one that is supposed to represent the truth behind the seemingly "perfect" pictures you see online.
But expectation vs reality is applicable in many different situations outside of social media.
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When you start a new job and you imagine things going a certain way only to realise, shock and horror, that it's not exactly what you thought it would be.
And speaking of work, the people around you might also have a wrong idea of what you actually do for a living.
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You could provide them with an entire job description, word for word, explain the importance of your role until you are red in the face, but some people just won't get it.
For some reason, the people at the very top of that list, almost consistently, are probably your parents.
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The workforce has changed so much over the years that there are job titles that exist now that they probably never could have even dreamed of.
So this could justify why they are genuinely confused as to what it is you might be earning an income.
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Another common occurrence is that they have a preconceived idea of what your job entails and no matter how hard you try to change their minds, they will stick right to it.
Especially when it comes to djing, whenever I tell my parents I'm going out to dj at an event, they always assume I'm going out to have fun. They just assume it's just me plugging in a USB and standing there in front of a laptop waving my hands from left to right. They don't realise it's a lot of work. I have to curate a playlist, I have to make sure that the music works with the crowd and that they are enjoying it, if my energy levels are low I have to work even harder to portray the positive, party vibe.
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When it comes to certain occupations, there might also be the typical misconception that the more creative jobs are less serious, more easygoing, don't require as much hard work, and is just a good time.
Even Stacey, who is a radio legend and has been doing this for a minute, still struggles to make her parents come to terms with her work schedule.
I've done radio, tv and magazine covers, billboards and stuff so my parents know what I do. But I think they believe I'm only working for three hours a day. Which is untrue. And that I am always contactable! Even during the show. Especially my dad. Really not great to have your phone ring in the middle of a show. They also think I'm famous, like Kardashian famous. I think they think I'm a millionaire and I just choose to live frugally.
It is a shame to have to occasionally provide our parents with a much-needed reality check but if we don't tell them, who will?
Main image courtesy of East Coast Radio