Doin my head in!!

LegacyUser

Hey, so I've ended up on here out of pure exasperation! The problem is with my parents. I'm 23 yrs old and still living at home. I've just finished college and am trying to find work, which may take months. So it looks like I'll be living at home for the next 6 months - 1 year.

The issue is that I have absolutely no space at home. My parents are constantly around as my Dad works from home and my Mam works part time, 3 mornings a week. Our house is a bungalow, not tiny but not particularly big either. They regularly burst into my bedroom (I'm talking at least once every hour) without knocking. They open my post, which really annoys me out of principle. My mum in particular has to know where I am 24 hours a day. I'm not disrespectful towards them, I clean up after myself and help out where I can. I try to be independant enough, although I'm not financially at the moment.

I feel like theres resentment building up within me towards them because I can never get away from them. My mum has to know everything I do and still pretty much treats me like a child. If I say I'm driving down to the shops or somewhere she'll say 'no I'll drive you' and then gets upset if I just say I want to go on my own. Its not a case of not wanting to spend quality time with them, I just need my own space too!

I've tried to talk to them about how I feel in a rational, calm way but whenever I ask for simple courtesies like knocking before walking into my room they get really pissed off with me. Its really not that much to ask, its not like I'm doing anything illegal in there. It really just irritates me that I get no privacy or respect. I feel like this is driving a wedge between me and my parents. I get irritated all the time lately when I'm around the house I just cant get away from them. I've tried to explain that this is how I'm feeling and that its a natural feeling at 23 to want your own space and to want to move out. They just see it as me not wanting to spend time with them. Its not a case of that, I love my parents I just can't stand every aspect of my life being controlled by them. I'm not a child anymore!

I've asked more than once in a nice manner for them not to open my post and to knock when coming in to my room but they just get annoyed like I'm being unreasonable. They'll knock for about 2 days and go straight back to how it was. I don't know how else to approach this problem. It may not sound like much but at 23 its really getting unbearable. I feel like its damaging our relationship. Any advice?

tenchi-fan

Not much you can do, except try to spend every waking minute outside your house.

Glowing

put a lock on your door!