Okay, so I'm 22 years old and I live with my parents. Overall, it's a good situation. I'm still going to school, so living with them saves a helluva lotta money and in general they are good people and we get along. (I've posted previously about this a few weeks back). Thing is, there has been a tirade of crime in my area lately, which is very quiet suburban area that can be quite dark at night, so it's easy to get robbed/assaulted without witnesses. Now, I'm 22 and I think I can take care of myself very well, and I don't lack common sense, so I'm very happy going downtown late at night, seeing shows, socializing, etc. before coming home. In fact, I think this is a very important part of being a young adult. You can't be cooped up at home doing nothing; you need stimulation. However, my parents are obsessively worried about my staying out late to the point of ridiculousness. They absolutely refuse to go to bed before I get home, which guilt-trips me to the max because often on Saturday mornings they have to wake up early to go to work. Besides, their idea of late is coming home 10-11, when most late-night events don't end til 12 or 1. I don't know how to deal with this. I don't go out every day but since it's summer I do want to go out late at least once a week. I know that having the privilege to live at your parents' rent-free comes with a their-roof-their-rules price, but is this too much? I feel I have to 2 options: 1. Continue going out late until they're used to it and see that I can take care of myself fine. 2. Don't go out because it's their-house-their-rules and save them worry. I'm not a teenager or a partier. I've even studied abroad and been out late in a non-English-speaking foreign country way later than I do now, and have been fine because I have common sense to arrange transport home, stay with friends, etc. Any suggestions?
I suffer from having over-protective parents. They're exactly like what you've described with your parents. I wish I could just be like "hey I'm going to ___ & I'll be back at ___ " & they shouldn't hold you back. I agree that it is important as part of a young adult's life to have these experiences. I think you should continue going out late until they're used to it. You're an adult who doesn't seem to have a record of bringing trouble home. If they don't seem to budge, move out. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Thanks for the support, but moving out is not an option until I graduate from university and have time to hold down a full-time job to pay for rent. So I have to put up with about 1.5 more years of this.
I am 17 so yeah I am still living at home with my overprotective parents but it sounds like they are fine with you staying out but they just worry about you. My mom won't go to bed until I am home either and it also guilts me but I do believe it is important for young people to have some fun. I don't think that it is too much to ask to go out once a week in the summer and stay out late. Buy some pepper spray to make them feel better if you are coming home late in an unsafe neighborhood. Good luck with everything. -Ky
