Dear Christine,
ALTHOUGH I am 17 years old, I am not allowed to go out except to school. Whenever my school friends have a party and they ask me out, I get the same reply from my parents – “no”.
I feel really hurt about this and would love to run away from home – although of course, I am too smart to do that. Where would I run anyway?
I am home from school most evenings by 4 p.m. and I never venture outside much after that. We live in a quiet neighbourhood and I do not mix much with the neighbours. Apart from going to church, going shopping on some occasions and going to the supermarket, I spend most of my time at home.
Christine, I do not have a boyfriend, neither am I looking for one, but I do have a few male and female friends at school that I’ll like to hang out with at different places other than school. Is something wrong with that?
How can we make parents understand that not all young people are looking to live a life of sex, crime and drugs?
– Hurting
Dear Hurting,
I know what you’re going through cannot be easy, but you must understand that as long as you are in your parents’ home and they are supporting you, they will make it their right to decide where you go, what you do and with whom – even though I believe there should be some measure of flexibility.
While I understand that young women like yourself need the protection of home, your parents should have some measure of trust in you.
If there is someone they will listen to, see if that individual can speak to them on your behalf. I believe they should give you more freedom, especially on weekends when there is no school.
Girls your age need to get out and socialise with other young people as you develop into a balanced and matured adult. I hope they’ll have some trust in you and give you more freedom.
– CHRISTINE
