Single senior looks for alternatives to Internet matching
I'm the oldest out of eight kids and they always say I have to be an example. But I feel like a robot because I do everything they want.
I'm afraid that if I go against them they will kick me out and never let me see them or my siblings.
-- Trapped Robot
Dear Trapped: Much of what you are feeling is basically the lament of the oldest child. Understand that your parents are learning how to be parents. It is easier to tightly control a child than to tolerate the anxiety of loosening the leash.
Your job is to respect their rules while you are in the house, and to make workable plans to leave home, as soon as possible. Many young people find freedom through attending college; if you aren't college-bound, it's time to find employment and start to push back.
Don't let them control you through threats of punishments. In every futuristic movie, there's a moment where the robots rebel. It might be time for your uprising.
Dear Amy: I was disappointed by your response to "Mom in Tears," whose teenage son was prevented from walking down the aisle to graduate, due to a suspension. You seemed to agree that the son's accomplishment should not be rewarded with a graduation gift.
The son did graduate, and he's already been punished by the school. She doesn't need to pile on.
-- You are Wrong
Dear Wrong: Great point. Thank you for making it.
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(You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson.com. Readers may send postal mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or "like" her on Facebook.)
