How To Deal With Nosy Parents

Step 1: Cover Your Tracks

First, you're going to want to make sure you don't leave anything personal around the house. Notes, journals, notebooks, anything. Just because they shouldn't read them doesn't mean the won't. Plus, even if you're totally innocent, who knows what crazy interpretations they'll make

Step 2: Don't Lie

You don't have to tell your parents everything. But if you lie to them and get caught, you set yourself back a year or two in terms of trust. And then they'll hound you about everything.

Step 3: Don't Trip

Don't trip when your parents ask you questions. If you freak out every time they ask you how your day was or where you're going, at best you're going to get into more fights, and at worse, they're going to send you to a therapist. If you don't want to answer their questions, telling them things are fine will usually nip them in the bud.

Obviously, if something really is wrong and you don't know what to do, you might want to talk to them or someone else you trust.

Step 4: Chat It Out

Parents get nosy for two reasons. One, they want to make sure you're okay, and two, they love you and want to be part of your life, as uncomfortable as that is. So one tack you can take is to tell them a little, not a ton, about what's going on with you. Then they feel included, and they hopefully back off.