How old is old enough?

So, tonight at around 9:40, I go up to my mom and say, "Is it okay if I run to Blockbuster?" And she tells me no, because it's too late. I don't understand this. I'm 17. If she honestly thinks that 10 o'clock is too late to run up the road to a movie store, she's in for a very rude awakening in 11 months when I live 3 hours away and never call. I understand that she doesn't want me to have a bunch of freedom now, and that I'm not allowed to do whatever I want, which isn't what I'm asking. But, seriously. Fucking Blockbuster. I think I can handle it. I hope that next year, when I don't have to call home for her permission for everything I do, I don't get totally overwhelmed with freedom and go crazy.

I just want to be old enough to go where I want, when I want, and talk to who I want. I hate worrying about getting in trouble for giving a 19 year old my phone number. Everything about being so close to 18, but not quite being there just aggravates the hell out of me.

I'm just whining because I'm super pissed at my mom, and I want to grow up!!



I DON'T want to be a Toys-R-Us kid.

I'm in the same boat...only not so rough (Blockbuster at 10pm is alright :) ), but I do know how you feel. So close to 18, and in less then a year, I'll be in college, far from here, yet I still don't really have a shitload of freedom. I've just sort of resigned to the fact that I'll have to put up with it for a little while...there's not a lot that (I, at least) can do to change my parents minds, so I just have to enjoy what I can do, and then wait another few months. I can go hang out with friends and everything at night, but going out and doing stuff with people my parents don't know from work, even if I've known them for 2 years? Forget it...
So close, yet so far :mad:

coming from someone who has been there, and done that ...
your mom/parents aren't really all that "stupid" as the teenage mind interprets it.... not downin' ya or anything just look at it from her point of view. i'm 20 now and i went thru 12 kinds of hell with my parents just trying to do what i thought was right and boy did i screw up, got in trouble with the law, massively in debt and i have nothing to show for it.
i'm sure your mother loves you dearly and i would suggest you stop and think about what you say and do because one day she won't be there when you need her most.

If she has no reason why you can't go besides its too late, then I think thats pretty unreasonable. Owell, before you know it you'll be on your own, so just enjoy the good parts of living with your parents while you can. My .02

As far as what I said about not calling her, that's crap. My mother and I have a great relationship and I know that I need her very much. And I definitely don't think she's stupid, I know she worries about me. That's the main reason I can't do things. She worries that something bad will happen to me. But, the way I see it is that instead of her freaking out and worrying about me 24/7 when I go to college, she should let me do littler things now (i.e. Blockbuster) so that she can see that I am capable of taking care of myself.

Also, as far as getting in trouble with the law, I haven't ever and don't plan to. I'm not a drug user or drinker, nor am I into anything that could possibly get me into trouble with the law.

hmm...


i wouldn't want my 17 yr old daughter out roaming the streets late at night, even if it is just up to blockbuster and back.

look, i'm not trying to offend u here, AT ALL. i'm just saying you'll look back on this in a year or two and be like "damn, now i know why my mom did that..."

idk what to tell you tho... wish you could understand things from the perspective of someone who's been there.... when ur 17 man you think you run the world... again ... no offense intended

I hate sounding like I'm offended, because I'm really not. At all. I understand where you're coming from, but I also think that going from not being allowed to do very much to being able to do whatever I want is a big change, for both me and my mom. And I think, logically, that it would be easier for her to let me prove to her now, step-by-step, that I can take care of myself. We have a rule anyway that I call her when I get to where I'm going. I don't really think it's all that big a deal for a 17-year-old to drive for 5 minutes to Blockbuster, call her, get my movie, and come home.

On another note, the word "roaming" really pisses me off. It's not "roaming" if you have an intended destination. Which I had.

17 is old enough, your mum is a noob.

But I don't believe it's the age, does she trust you to run up the street and back with out going to a crack house fucking up on crack cocaine and having wild mass orgies at my house? Hmm? Yeah, exactly.

It isn't that bad for you during the day, is it? I agree, that you have to try with baby steps first...that's how I got to where I am with my parents. Little by little is the best way to get some freedom IMO. Like I said, being 17, so close to 18 sucks...even then though, I doubt my parents would change much. Thank God it's senior year...

During the day is fine with them for me to go to places like that. She doesn't care. And yes, Davo, she trusts me. I've never been in trouble like that. But, orgies at your house does sound tempting...hahaha. Dork.

...and I want to grow up!!



TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW. When you're 21, you're gonna think back to that and wish you never grew up.

i'm less than 5 mo. from being 21. and my friends already are 21 this sucks.

but seriously i agree with tubjub, I know it sucks but it's really not that big of deal right now for you. Will those little things matter in a year. or even a month probably not. Don't worry

Yeah I dont want to grow up, nothing good comes out of it. Im fine being 16 and not being able to goto blockbuster/the crack house at 10 P.M.

Yeah I dont want to grow up, nothing good comes out of it. Im fine being 16 and not being able to goto blockbuster/the crack house at 10 P.M.


Are you really only 16? :screwy:

Cherish your parent while you have them. Take that from a 20 yr old with no parents. They are worth far more than anything you could imagine.

Are you really only 16? :screwy:

Yeah, why would I lie about my age, and what does it matter? :lol:

Wow... once I got my license, I had complete freedom. You guys have sucky childhoods..

Cherish your parent while you have them. Take that from a 20 yr old with no parents. They are worth far more than anything you could imagine.

I'm not saying I don't appreciate my parents. I never said that. Argh. I love them very much, and the only reason that I'm staying in Florida to go to school is so that I can still come home whenever I want. The point that I was striving to make is that I'm 17, and therefore, I know everything. Duh! And that I should be allowed to go to Blockbuster at 10.

Hmmm...can you do anything at night? I've got a friend who's in a similar situation; she can do stuff during the day, but at night, unless it's with me, or someone her parents really trust, then it's no-go; she would probably be in the can't-go-to-Blockbuster club with you too. May just have to accept it, and wait a few months...enjoy what time you have left to get free food and housing, along with the time you have with your parents.

Most of the time, I can go to stores and stuff at night. But, I'm not allowed to hang out with any of the people I work with (they're all older, like 19 and 20) or go to friends' houses if she doesn't know them. Basically, I've never been to a high school party. It's pretty sad. I know I'll go to a few before I graduate, but my Friday and Saturday nights usually consist of working, spending some time with my cousin who lives up the road, and then coming home and sitting on the computer. I lead a very boring life. But, the free food is great. And I happen to be very attached to my giant bed. I'm gonna cry when I have to leave it behind.

Wow...and I thought I was the only one in that situation...can pretty much go to no parties, can't hang out with people from work (most are around 19-20 too), and don't do a shitload of stuff on weekend nights aside from occasionally going to hang out with my friends that my parents know. And I thought I was the only one like that :rolleyes:

well im not in your boat, once i turned 15 my parents pretty much cut the leash on me and let me do whatever i wanted. But my GF is and damn does it suck.

Shes 18 and in college but lives with her grandma. THe problem is her family is very controlling, they know she needs them so they abuse it. She cant spend the night anywhere with me. If she tells her family shes going to go the lake house with my family for the weekend they tell her she cant spend the night. So shes says im 18, i can do what i want. They say fine, but were taking your car away and kicking you out the house (yes she lives with her grandma). I know they wouldnt kick her out of the house, but they prolly would take her car away. Its in there name, and she needs that car pretty bad. So were kinda stuck on what to do. Its hard spending time with someone on a friday night when she has to be home by 12, and she always has to lie to her family about what we did. If she tells them that we went and hung out at my house, her family will think we were having sex all night and say things like "i hope you ask god to forgive you for your sins" and give her all kinds of shit about being at my house with me. Its not that her family doesnt like me, its that they are a bunch of control freaks. Also i think its because for the most part the rest of her family is a bunch of low life fuck ups, while she has a full ride scholarship and graduated with a 3.79 GPA. So i think they are worried that i might corrupt her, which i already have, but for a good way.

But anways, Nicole, sorry to hear about your crappy life, i guess its not as uncommon as i thought it was.

Yeah, why would I lie about my age, and what does it matter? :lol:



I always thought you were older thats all, and when your 16, don't you have better things to do then post 20 times a day? Haha..

wow. i left at like 11pm here lastnite and come back and this thread exploded.

but yeah not being able to go do what you like does suck... i know exactly how ya feel. i still kinda get the 3rd degree now, even being 20 years old.

my problem is, i wasn't allowed to go out and do what i wanted back in the day because my grades weren't the greatest... nor was i allowed to get my license.

but after battling that for 3 years , moving out, coming back, dropping out of high-school, and then started doing ALLL the things i wanted... and man it was awesome. then the trouble started and i went back home and got my diploma and tried to start my life over. seems to be working other than the fact that i still missed my teenage f-off years that all my friends got to have, but i didn't....

sorry that was a lil off-subject i guess but just lettin ya know you're not alone in the world when it comes to that


but from your standpoint, yeah its a lil bit of crap that u can't make a trip up the street to blockbuster... try offering to take her with you ... build up the night-time driving/traveling trust factor.... just an idea

I understand where you're comin' from 'cause I wa sjust there. Heck, when I back for summer from college, she didn;t like me being out past 12 but I also have a past. The thing is, you're mom is just trying to protect you. Given, 10 is a little off. 12 seems more resonable, but never the less, that's all. When you're free, it'll be a whole new world...you'll get all the excitement in one year then learn to mellow and that 3 in the morning trip to TB is really awesome. And random trips to Tennessee are somthing else until u get bad grades...sorry, my own ranting. So yeah, be cool, stay in school and listen to your parents...right

So, where you goin to go to school at???

So, where you goin to go to school at???

I was thinking UWF in Pensacola, but it's 8 hours away from everything. Right now, either FSU or UCF. I'm going to find out in November if I'm accepted to FSU.

Sorry to say this but if I, as a parent, had a girl that looked like you I would probable act the same way. Of course, I would also set on the front step with a shotgun when she left or her boyfriend was comming over. Thank God I have a boy!!!

I'm going to find out in November if I'm accepted to FSU.

I have a friend there and they say it's a good school. Hope you get accepted.

Anyway, I know my parents use to be like that and they still kind of are.
The thing is, my mom was a BIG party girl back in high school. My dad got pretty bad when he got into college and started partying, smoking pot, and stuff like that.

I'm assuming they were so tuff is because they knew if they gave me too much freedom I'd end up doing things just like them. I guess they didn't want a "life of the party" son, so they tried to keep their thumb on me.

Well, it didn't really work because I found ways where I could have done things behind their back. The thing is, I made a choice myself that I really didn't want to drink and stuff like that.

The good news though is that your parents may seem like asses now, but when you turn 18 and you start to get out on your own, they'll actually become cool believe it or not.

Also, redneck, that's not a good attitude to have for a daughter. If you hold her back so she wont whore around, she's going to whore around. If somebody wants to do something bad enough they'll find a way to do it. The thing is to give them the knowledge so you hope they'll make the right choice.

FSU is a good school? FSU is the stereotypical movie school. Although, pending on ur major, it is a good schoolish.

I go to UCF and I'm a Gator fan so I'm a little bias...but it is stuck in the middle of ghetto Tallahassee.

Sometimes the worst things can happen when you go out for a simple thing such as renting a movie, so maybe it was a good thing she didn't let you go. Never know how many drunk drivers are out there at 10p.m. anyways, or anything else for that matter.

I just got back from the shops after I asked my parents if they wanted something, 9:30pm and I am 16.
I enjoyed a bottle of Gin at my house on Saturday with my mates drinking just as much, parents got home (with some very scared looks from my mates) they joined us for a few drinks.

Different parents have different teaching techniques, mine have my trust and I have theirs because they are fairly laid back, I fuck up and they don't get too angry, they will have a word with me then help me get out of the situation.

I probably get a bit too much freedom (last weekend I managed to get to 4 different parties, the weekend before was 7) though, like I am about to lose my licence for 6 months due to a mistake I made (and have accepted and learnt from) behind the wheel.

So when you wake up tomorrow and drive to work (or school) think about how much your parents look after you, because tomorrow I will be on my bike riding to work. Somehow explaining to my boss as to why I can no longer move and road test cars as a apprentice mechanic, and pray to god he doesn't fire my ass.

Man, that kinda went off topic... :lol2:

I just found this thread and can only say one thing.Their house their rules.Just revell in the fact that you can do it to your kids when you have them.That sounds kinda callus.What I mean is you will understand when the time comes.I am only 25 and have a 6 year old daughter(Yeah I know maybe a little too much freedom for me right?) and I am terrified of the day that she figures out that she can just go.I worry about her every day and just watching the news can make you want to lock a kid in the house and keep them there forever.But in closing I just wanted to say enjoy it while you can soon you will be out all you want then you will grow out of it.Getting older sucks ass!

Nicole, here's some food for thought.
now i know that you love your parents and all so here's a tip.

Never and I mean never take the "I'm 18 I can do whatever I want" route with them.....I did that with my parents and this is how it played out:

Parents: No You're not going to do whatever it was that you wanted to do!

Me: But I'm 18!!! I'm an adult! I can do whatever I want!!!

Parents: Oh so you're 18 huh? You're an adult huh?! So that means that you can live on your own right? You can pay your own bills and get a full time job like an Adult right? Why don't we set up a billing plan so that you can pay us $100 a week for room and board? Oh and you can also find your own transportation like an adult.

Me*on the phone to my friends*: Yeah I changed my mind, I'm not going out.......

basically when you turn 18, you find out how much you need your parents....I call it "the false sense of adulthood birthday" because of that, now my parents and i get along pretty well....

and yes i got owned....:p

Hahahahaha, although that is pretty funny, I won't be living at home. I will be in a dorm, with a full scholarship, and I have my own truck. I make the payments, and it will be paid off in 6 more months (Yipee!!). I have an almost full-time job as it is now, I usually average about 30 hours a week, I go to high school and college, and am in 2 clubs, and do volunteer hours so I can get my scholarship. I'd say I'm pretty responsible.

Ok I have no clue what I'm doing here..But I have a question...I have a 1987 Chevy Astro Van...the serpentine belt broke right...so we put on another one and it came off in like 10 minutes...and then another in 30 seconds...for some reason I cant keep them on...if you take the fan blade off...it will start up and the belt will stay on...but if you put the blade back on it comes off!!! I dont understand..I mean I got to have the fan blade...I have asked 10 people and noone knows!!At 26 dollars per belt I can't afford trial and error much longer...lol! Like I said I came here searching for help so I don't exactly know how this thing works so if anyone has ANY ideas...please email me at [email protected]!!...lol...I hate to beg...but i'm so darn good at it...lol

Ok I have no clue what I'm doing here..But I have a question...I have a 1987 Chevy Astro Van...the serpentine belt broke right...so we put on another one and it came off in like 10 minutes...and then another in 30 seconds...for some reason I cant keep them on...if you take the fan blade off...it will start up and the belt will stay on...but if you put the blade back on it comes off!!! I dont understand..I mean I got to have the fan blade...I have asked 10 people and noone knows!!At 26 dollars per belt I can't afford trial and error much longer...lol! Like I said I came here searching for help so I don't exactly know how this thing works so if anyone has ANY ideas...please email me at [email protected]!!...lol...I hate to beg...but i'm so darn good at it...lol

Hahahahahahhahaha. Nice job staying on topic. When you're at the home page (www.automotiveforums.com) click on forums in the top left-hand-ish corner. Then, you'll see lots of different categories. Click on chevy, then wherever from there. Start a new thread in there about your problem, or you can just hijack my thread and someone here will answer your question. As for me, I can't really help you there, because I know absolutely nothing about automobiles. (I'm still sort of wondering why I've been here so long....)

(I'm still sort of wondering why I've been here so long....)

Because you can't live without me..err I mean us.

Post it here man-- http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=117

How could you find this and not the chevy forums though? Goodluck anyway.

nicole, the boat you're in has my name carved in the bottom of it.
Basically, I've never been to a high school party. It's pretty sad.
i'm 19, and i graduated high school in 2003 and i still dont think i've ever been to a high school party. but trust me, they cant be any better than college parties :ylsuper:
the free food is great.
eat up, girl. eat up!!


i think that baby steps toward total responsibility and freedom is an absolutely great idea. it seems like it would smooth out the transition from living with your mom to living on your own, even if you are staying in dorms on campus. if she's not too keen on this idea still, you might think about sitting her down and talking it out with her. parents arent used to their kids having to rationalize with them, so when you initially show her how mature you are by presenting this "baby steps to freedom" theory, she might be hesitant. but keep trying!

and major kudos to you for realizing the potential crazyness that could come from sudden freedom once you get to college.

Nicole, here's some food for thought.
now i know that you love your parents and all so here's a tip.

Never and I mean never take the "I'm 18 I can do whatever I want" route with them.....I did that with my parents and this is how it played out:

Parents: No You're not going to do whatever it was that you wanted to do!

Me: But I'm 18!!! I'm an adult! I can do whatever I want!!!

Parents: Oh so you're 18 huh? You're an adult huh?! So that means that you can live on your own right? You can pay your own bills and get a full time job like an Adult right? Why don't we set up a billing plan so that you can pay us $100 a week for room and board? Oh and you can also find your own transportation like an adult.

Me*on the phone to my friends*: Yeah I changed my mind, I'm not going out.......

basically when you turn 18, you find out how much you need your parents....I call it "the false sense of adulthood birthday" because of that, now my parents and i get along pretty well....

and yes i got owned....:p


I agree...


xokayxo she stole your boat!! GET HER!!


High School parties SUCK, end of story. Man, I regret the parties I went to , oh fuck they were boring! I mean, woah, stand around talking to people you already know drinking till you can't feel the burn on your arms no longer, pft, I can do that at home.

I hate sounding like I'm offended, because I'm really not. At all. I understand where you're coming from, but I also think that going from not being allowed to do very much to being able to do whatever I want is a big change, for both me and my mom. And I think, logically, that it would be easier for her to let me prove to her now, step-by-step, that I can take care of myself. We have a rule anyway that I call her when I get to where I'm going. I don't really think it's all that big a deal for a 17-year-old to drive for 5 minutes to Blockbuster, call her, get my movie, and come home.

On another note, the word "roaming" really pisses me off. It's not "roaming" if you have an intended destination. Which I had.

I was in much the same boat you were for a long time. My parents wouldnt let me go much of anywhere after 10 pm. Eventually, though, they realized that sheltering me would make me inept in the long run, so they loosened up. Part of it could also be a double standard, like someone said, a 17 year old girl by herself at 10 pm might not seem like a good idea to a parent, while if its a guy its no big deal. Honestly, considering how many girls I've hit on driving my car home (Just for fun
:) ), I could understand it. Just remember that freedom is under a year away. Now that I'm 18, (When I'm home from college) I have to be home by 1 am or find someplace else to sleep. Havnt tried it yet to see if they're serious, dont plan to either.

High School parties SUCK, end of story. Man, I regret the parties I went to , oh fuck they were boring! I mean, woah, stand around talking to people you already know drinking till you can't feel the burn on your arms no longer, pft, I can do that at home.

HECK YEAH!!!
I think Nicole is smart enough that she knows what she's doin'. Just usin' stree release to release some stress. Now, why you're still here, that is a good question. I've been askin' the same thing for 3 yrs...

One bit of info, Girls 'cause enough trouble on the road, the more kept off the better!!!









j/p :D:p

Most of the time, I can go to stores and stuff at night. But, I'm not allowed to hang out with any of the people I work with (they're all older, like 19 and 20) or go to friends' houses if she doesn't know them. Basically, I've never been to a high school party. It's pretty sad. I know I'll go to a few before I graduate, but my Friday and Saturday nights usually consist of working, spending some time with my cousin who lives up the road, and then coming home and sitting on the computer. I lead a very boring life. But, the free food is great. And I happen to be very attached to my giant bed. I'm gonna cry when I have to leave it behind.

I don't think the majority of the people that post continuously on an online internet forum and consider it socializing and actually enjoy it, have ever been to a high school party. just my 2 cents.

I don't think the majority of the people that post continuously on an online internet forum and consider it socializing and actually enjoy it, have ever been to a high school party. just my 2 cents.

Thats a good point. I personally have never been to one, nor have I been to a college party. Of course, I'm not the party type anyway,

me neither. no interest. don't like crowds that much, unless they're fellow car nuts

Oooh... another youngin' fresh to college for me to prey on, MUA HA HA!

I don't think the majority of the people that post continuously on an online internet forum and consider it socializing and actually enjoy it, have ever been to a high school party. just my 2 cents.

Sitting in the woods for 4 hours on a Friday night getting drunk with skanky people doesn't make you cool either. And quite frankly, I don't even think that qualifies as a major life experience. So please don't come in here running your mouth.

Also, you were redundant saying "online internet," and socializing takes place in many forms, not just verbal communication. Just my $.02

Sitting in the woods for 4 hours on a Friday night getting drunk with skanky people doesn't make you cool either. And quite frankly, I don't even think that qualifies as a major life experience.

touche

Sitting in the woods for 4 hours on a Friday night getting drunk with skanky people doesn't make you cool either. And quite frankly, I don't even think that qualifies as a major life experience. So please don't come in here running your mouth.

Also, you were redundant saying "online internet," and socializing takes place in many forms, not just verbal communication. Just my $.02


I love knowing that you took at least 10 minutes planning out how you would respond to my comment. Nice job, but I still think you shouldn't "run your mouth" about something you've never done. :)

I love knowing that you took at least 10 minutes planning out how you would respond to my comment. Nice job, but I still think you shouldn't "run your mouth" about something you've never done. :)

She may have never done it before, but she's spot on. Highschool 'parties' are the lamest. :loser:

She may have never done it before, but she's spot on. Highschool 'parties' are the lamest. :loser:

Right, you are entitled to say that because (I'm assuming) you've been to one. They aren't for the a-social type.

Right, you are entitled to say that because (I'm assuming) you've been to one. They aren't for the a-social type.
Yum, I love e-kool High school boys.


a/s/l?

Yum, I love e-kool High school boys.


a/s/l?

almost 18
male
florida

I love knowing that you took at least 10 minutes planning out how you would respond to my comment. Nice job, but I still think you shouldn't "run your mouth" about something you've never done. :)


ditt0 ... its called life experience

TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT NOW. When you're 21, you're gonna think back to that and wish you never grew up.

Yup. I'm 18, in senior year, taking three college level classes. I finished homework a 3:15 this morning. I woke up two and a half hours later to go to school, and I was finishing homework in class.

You don't want to grow up.

Yup. I'm 18, in senior year, taking three college level classes. I finished homework a 3:15 this morning. I woke up two and a half hours later to go to school, and I was finishing homework in class.

You don't want to grow up.

im in my senior year and i get mostly As and Bs and i take AP classes too but i never do homework or study, I love florida schools haha

Yup. I'm 18, in senior year, taking three college level classes. I finished homework a 3:15 this morning. I woke up two and a half hours later to go to school, and I was finishing homework in class.

You don't want to grow up.

Wow...HS senior here too, with AP Lit, Gov and Physics, no where near that hw...in this is NYS too. What AP's are you taking that give you that much work?

Rbraczyk, I can relate semi. I live in Maine and the High school standards keep getting rougher and rougher. Between the 4 classes in high school, I think the amount of credits you need went up 4 or 5 full credits. Sucks majorly. If you fail a semester in 1 class, you HAFTO make that credit up. Even if you had 40 credits, you would need to make up that half credit. Sucks ass.

So, tonight at around 9:40, I go up to my mom and say, "Is it okay if I run to Blockbuster?" And she tells me no, because it's too late.If you have to ask, you're not old enough. I would have just left.