I am not in your boat, l am 43 and able to make my own decisions. That being said, my girlfriend was very much against me getting a bike. She was worried that l would ride really aggressively and get killed. Her one experience with a motorcycle was on the back of a bike in France with a guy who road raced. She walked away scared to death and had it stuck in her mind that that was how motorcycles were ridden. Not that l felt like l had to win her over, but l wanted her to feel good about what l was doing. It is nice to have the support of your loved ones. So this is what l did.
I started by signing up for the BRC class, a few months before l bought my bike. I told her that l wasn't sure if l was ready yet, but l wanted to take the class and learn everything l could about safe riding. This got her ears perked up a bit.
While l was taking the class, l came home and told her all about it. I told her everything l had learned about safe riding, lane travel, reflective gear, helmets, modulated lighting, brightly colored paint, everything l could think of. She started to realize that l was serious about riding safely.
Whenever we would be out in the car and see a motorcycle, l would tell her what the rider was doing, whether it was correct or not. We saw a bike change lanes long before a car moved into his lane and l explained that the rider had anticipated that car wanting over so he changed lanes in advance to alleviate having to make a quick maneuver. We saw a couple of bikes riding really fast and l explained to her what they did wrong, how they had taken unnecessary risks, and why l would not be inclined to ride that way. Motorcycles started to take a different shape to her because it was no longer just a bike whizzing down the road, but rather a series of situations flowing from one to another.
All in all, she really changed her tune. She started telling her friends and family that l wanted a bike, and that she was starting to be on board because l was really safety-conscious. Now it is just part of our daily life.
Maybe your parents won't be so easy to convince, but don't underestimate them. If you approach it in the right way, and plant the right seeds, maybe in time they will come around.