My mom is too over-protective!

Dear Advice Girl,

My mom is so over-protective!!! She makes my friends come over instead of letting me go to their house! She won’t even let me walk to the library a few blocks away. She thinks that a library is not a place to hang out! She is so paranoid, I hate her! My friends can’t believe how she treats me!

Signed,
   Lisa

Dear Lisa,

I asked my friend Courtney to help out with today's advice. Take it away, Courtney:

Sometimes the people that care about you the most don’t know how to show it. Your mom just wants you to be safe.

Have a talk with your mom. Find out what you can do to gain her trust, if it’s taking more responsibility around the house or involving her more in your social life. Let her get to know your friends more so she sees that they’re good people who are safe to hang out with one-on-one.

If you don’t already, you should get a cell phone, or use the one you have to let her keep tabs on you. It’s a way your mom can contact you and make sure that you’re safe, without being there all the time. Maybe one day she’ll even let you go to that scary library by yourself!