All in all my parents did a great job. And I don't hate them by any means. But my mom is absolutely unable to be pleased or even seemingly unable to be happy. Nothing you can do will ever be good enough. Let's use my jobs I've held as an example.
Got a job at 16 in fast food. "When are you going to get a better job?"
Got a better job at a grocery store the next year. "Well after college you'll get a real job."
Went through college, graduated with a Bachelor's in business and marketing when I was 21. Nobody will hire anyone in this field without job experience. Pretty much only went because it was required of me. If not, I was squandering the opportunity they provided for me.
So I went to work at the grocery store I used to work in, but as a manager. "Wow great way to use your degree, when are you going to get a better job?"
6 months later, I get a job in tech support for a major video game manufacturer. "Well that's not what your degree was for. When are going to get a better job?"
After that I transferred off that company and now run technical/customer support for a company that makes a sports product I love and even use myself. I've worked here for 4 years. I accrue 4 hours of paid time off PER WEEK that I work (usable for vacation or sick leave). I have Saturday and Sunday off. I have free health insurance through the company I work for. I make good money to basically sit and read books or draw between customer contacts (reading and drawing are my two favorite hobbies). We don't live in an expensive area, so we can pay our bills easily between my job and my girlfriend's. It literally has everything I could ever ask for in a job. Her response nowadays?
"Have you applied to any other jobs recently?" or "I heard [company] is hiring, you should apply!"
I've had a job since I was 16, and have paid for essentially everything I have myself. Went into debt to finish school (not a lot thankfully, so not too upset about that). I've always had money to pay my bills, and have never really 'wanted' for anything in my adult life. So why are you continuing to ride my ass about it!!? For the record, I am only 29, and she still brings this shit up.
Right after college I realized that you just can't win with some people. I could be a medical doctor making millions of dollars and she'd say "Well, when are you going to become a surgeon?"
The fact that I have a job that pays my bills, lets me do what I want, and fulfills my life just doesn't matter at all, because I could be making more money at some imaginary job in her mind, which doesn't exist in the area we live in.
My dad, on the other hand, is awesome, and always asks how work's going and we chat casually about our jobs, and he's very happy that I love what I do. He knows that I'm now the happiest I've ever been with my life.
My mom? The person who never stops hounding me about my job?
She hasn't even had a job since I was 9.