The years when one is considered a «young adult» are some of the most confusing times in a person’s life, for many, many reasons.

We can spend hours discussing how difficult it is to enter the real world, find yourself, and figure out how you’re supposed to get on with life. But on top of all those challenges, there is one that no one really thinks about–our parents.

The way our relationship changes when we switch from being teenagers to young adults is a challenge people rarely expect. Some parents quite literally throw their children out of the nest, fully expecting them to find their own way in the world. While other parents refuse to come to terms with their children growing up, and insist on still treating them as kids, which can be just as challenging as getting thrown out.

The girl in the story below is currently experiencing both the former and the latter approach by her father. On one hand, he wanted her to find her own way and didn’t let her keep living at home, insisting she had to pay rent. On the other hand, once she got an offer to live with a friend for free, he got annoyed that the offer didn’t go through him first, like she wasn’t old enough to make her own decisions…