For 10 years I was made to believe that because I didnt have a "real job" I can't file. My parents claimed my 3 children and I, while I didn't understand. What's next?

Here are the rules that would enable your parents to claim you as a dependent. However, if you had your own source of income, you might have been required to file your own tax return. As a qualifying child, your income is irrelevant for dependency purposes. That leaves open the question of who was legally entitled to claim your children.

Your parents could claim you as a qualifying child – a dependent if all the following are true:

• Must be a US citizen, resident alien, or national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico.
• You're their son. daughter. stepchild, eligible foster child, or a descendant of any of them; brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them. An adopted child, if legally adopted or an individual lawfully placed with the taxpayer for legal adoption. An eligible foster child is one placed with the taxpayer by an authorized placement agency or by decree or order of any court with jurisdiction.
• You must be either: a) under 19 at the end of the year and younger than the taxpayer claiming you, or b) under 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student. A full-time student is enrolled full-time in school (but not online or correspondence schools) during any part of 5 calendar months during the calendar year, or took a full-time course of institutional on-farm training under the supervision of an accredited agency.
• You had the same principal abode as you for more than ½ the tax year. Temporary absences are ignored. Like for schooling.
• You haven’t provided over ½ of your own support. Taxable or nontaxable scholarship payments are ignored in determining support.
• You haven’t filed a joint return – unless there is no tax liability.

If you don't meet the qualifying child rules, you may meet the qualifying relative rules, which would allow your parents to claim you as a dependent

Qualifying Relative 

• Lived in their household the entire year (temporary absences are ignored) or be related by blood or marriage.
• Gross income for 2024 was less than $5050, 2025 less than $5,200 (lower amounts in earlier years
• They provide over ½ of your support.
• You aren't a qualifying child of another taxpayer.
• You must be unmarried or, if married, must not file a joint return unless you are only filing to claim a refund. Also, there must be no tax liability for either the dependent or the dependent’s spouse if they had filed separate returns.
• a US citizen, resident alien, or national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico

As to your children, there is a special rule that says you can not claim them as dependents if you can be claimed as a dependent. IRC 152(b)(1)

These answers might change because no information has been provided about their father, possibly your husband's status.

Generally, if you were due a refund for 2023, 2024, or 2025, you can still file a return to claim it. If you owe, there is no limitation. The IRS can pursue collection for those unfiled years.

your best course is to consult a tax professional who can review your entire situation and try to obtain any additional information that is required.