Lookingforadvice7777

Thank you, Batya. But they've already said if I move out and do all these things, "we basically can't see you again" if I wanted to visit. They don't trust the strength of at-home COVID tests or even ones from clinics ("what if you get a false positive and get us sick?").

I lived with my family all my life, including the past 2.5 years of the pandemic. My parents were, and still are, hella paranoid about COVID. To a degree, I understand, with their 60+ age. But for the past 2.5 years, they: Double-mask and wear gloves EVERYWHERE. I mean everywhere. Even outside on a 100+ degree doing yard work or a walk to the mailbox with not a soul around. They turn the car A/C off when a car nearby has their window down OR when someone on the sidewalk is walking by. They do this on the freeway even, going 70+ MPH. Wash every single grocery still. If they take a walk in the park, they very obviously duck and dodge away from other walkers. If they're forced to walk by someone jogging, or close to someone in a store, they turn their head the other direction. Or walk off the path to pretend to take picture of flowers or whatnot, waiting until they pass. They go to tons of stores, funnily enough, but no restaurants/movies/meetups with friends/large events/anything outside the essentials and small stores they can wear a mask in and get out of quickly. Have made all the family do the same. Have asked me to stop auditioning/performing (my career is music), and no one in the family is allowed to go out and do anything outside of school or work. (Of which, I do at home anyway. I nabbed a WFH job because that's the only job they would, basically, allow me to get.) And they are fully prepared to do this the rest of their lives. They've even stopped critical, in-person events for their own small business which has really slowed its progress. Some of this I understand and agree with. I'll wear a mask to protect my parents, of course. In the thick of the pandemic, I held off of going to places, of course. And I wore the thick, can-barely-breathe double masks. Dealt with their panicked fussing with me if I failed to wear gloves in the store. Held off from everything -- no events, no career progression, no social or romantic life. I held off because I cared about them, and held off because I needed to stay at home to land a job and save money and eventually move out. If they don't want me out and about doing things and coming back home, no problem, I'll move out. Which I'm doing now. But they've learned I'm planning to restart my life once I do so. That means, I'm -- shocker! -- going to volunteer, go on dates, audition for shows, live my young adult life like my twenties require! I might even grocery shop maskless, oh no! Because I have 0 friends. 0 romantic prospects. And my parents don't get it, and they can't handle it. I mentioned how I need my life "to begin." And they ask, begin how? To do what? Maybe it's because they lived their lives already and can afford to live in seclusion like this, but I can't. I guess they want me to stay in my new apartment and work remotely on my computer and...that's it? Just be inside all day? Oh, an occasional walk in the park, as a treat. Sigh. TL;DR My parents are upset with me for moving out and starting to go to public events again because of their intense fears of the pandemic.

HUH? I'm totally at a loss. He's selfish (!) for not wanting her leftovers on second thought? Huh??? He literally gave the food back to her. Eating a bite from the food doesn't ruin the food. They've lived together for a year, I'm sure they've eaten after each other a million times I'm sure. Lol, this is so funny. To me, in that scenario, you did nothing wrong. Your girlfriend sounds like she reacts over the top to situations.

I’ll try to keep this short. -- I lived at home until 25. --Wasn’t allowed to date in high school and barely in college. (Though, a busy schedule and no asking suitors never gave me the opportunity to anyway.) --Wasn’t allowed to have sex. Parents were afraid of me bringing home secondhand sex fluids and didn’t want sexually active adults in their home. I dealt with this for years, until a bubble of realization popped in me, realizing how much experience I didn't have and wanted. This + other reasons made me find a job, save up, and move out 1+ year ago. I’ve been dating since then. It’s startling to go from never holding hands before to dating, but I would say I’ve done well so far. I met one guy who I really liked, but it ultimately didn’t work out. Because I still love my parents and want to tell them about my life, I told them about this guy. I’m also sure they gleamed this was a sexual relationship as well. My reveal at a family brunch about this guy was met with: --My mother *trying* to be respectful and supportive, but asking a litany of nervous questions about him for weeks afterward, along with several requests for them to meet him. (I said no — too early for Meet the Parents.) --My dad deflected with jokes and changed the topic quickly. Some time later, I met the guy I’m with now, the one I love to bits. I'm getting real close to him, to the point I think a family meeting is in order. Told my parents this...same reaction. This time, more weirdness from my dad. He seemed more bothered, though he still accepted to meet. Leading to now. I had a phone conversation with my dad where we started arguing about something totally unrelated. To which he threw in the comment: **“Don’t think you know everything now, especially because you got *** in you and now you feel like you’re grown and you don’t have to listen to common sense.”** This, on top of previous comments made by mom, insinuating that her and my dad want me to be safe and have concerns about me being with so many men at my age. (Keep in mind, sexually, it’s only been 2, which I don’t think is that much? The rest have been get-to-know-you coffee and restaurant dates that didn’t fruition to much.) At first, I was pissed but the comment didn’t bristle me in particular. He’s said similar things before. But thinking about it lately, it seems a tad ***ed up to me, and how my parents have been reacting overall. Why are they reacting this way? Should I go through the Meet the Parents meeting? Welp, I couldn’t keep this short, but any advice anyone could give is ‘ppreciated.