I just want to move out.

[Unregistered]

I'm 16 years old. My parents are strict and don't trust me even through I've done nothing wrong. I want to move out and live with my friend. I am financially stable. My home life is stressful. I'm depressed but my parents don't notice. They make smart remarks thinking they are joking but it hurts. I can't get emancipated because there are no laws about it in North Dakota. What do I do? Should I ask them to let me move out? I don't want to be grounded for the rest of my life by asking. Help!

[ccsmod11]

re: I just want to move out.

Hi,

Thanks for reaching out to us today. It sounds like living at home has been hard for you lately, and we're sorry to hear you're not getting the support you need from your parents. Here at National Runaway Safeline we can't really tell you what it is that you should or shouldn't do- but we can definitely look at the pros and cons of the options that you do have.

Have you thought about ways that you could go about asking your parents to let you move out? Sometimes having some extra support (possibly your friend or another family member) may be helpful. We also offer a service where we can do a conference call: a liner at NRS would be on the phone with you and your parents at the same time and we could all talk together about some sort of solution or compromise. Have you ever considered family therapy? You mentioned that your parent's jokes hurt- maybe this is something that as a family you can talk about with a counselor.

If you're thinking about leaving, you're right that until you are 18, your parents get to decide where you live. If there is not emancipation, then again, you're right. A lot of people try to get permission from their parents. We can help you think of ways to talk with them about it if you're worried about being grounded.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us again if you have any more questions or want to talk more about the options you have. If you feel more comfortable talking via the computer, we do have an online chat service from 4:30 pm- 11:30 pm central time. You can also call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. We are a 24/7 crisis hotline and are always here to listen and help out in any way that we can.

Best of luck to you,

NRS