For those of you who had controlling parents, the nightmare was most likely over as soon as you started your adult life. It wasn’t easy juggling new responsibilities, bills, student loans, and a new mode of life, but it was all worth it and made you who you are today.
Except in the instances where parents just won’t let you off the leash. And for one 19-year-old woman, having her location constantly tracked by her mom was part of her teenage years. Naturally, it put a strain on their relationship and the daughter moved out to start her independent life.
“When I moved out, I told myself that I would turn off my GPS, but when I did, it caused a fight and she threatened to take away my car,” the author has shared her story on r/AITA. Mom insisted her daughter was hiding something and that she was out of her mind for cutting the tracker off. Let’s read the full story below, and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Image credits: Liza Summer (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda reached out to Anita Cleare, a parenting expert, director of The Positive Parenting Project, and author of “The Work/Parent Switch” who shared a couple of useful insights about controlling parents.
“I can understand why some parents use location tracking with younger teens as a way to help keep them safe,” Anita said in connection to the case. “But there comes a time when parents need to let go and allow their children to take responsibility for themselves as young adults,” she added.
The parenting expert is wondering why a parent feels the need to know where their 19-year-old is at all times in the first place. “Spending time with friends is essential for young people’s mental health and well-being and, for many, that includes staying out late and being spontaneous. Each young person is different but our job as parents is to equip them with the skills they need to keep themselves safe rather than always watching over them,” Anita explained.
When asked what could be possible reasons for why some parents control their kids so much, Anita said that it can be really hard to let go. “Being the parent of a teenager means transitioning from being the center of your child’s world to on the periphery, and that can be painful for parents.”
“If our teenager has not always been good at making sensible decisions, it can be hard to trust them even when they become young adults. We all fear for our children, and the teenage years can be especially scary for parents,” the parenting expert explained.
However, “allowing our teens to become independent young people who make their own decisions is essential. And that also means respecting their right to privacy,” Anita concluded.
This is what people had to comment on the story
