<p>@mathyone: Yes, my parents control what I eat, how much I eat, and when I eat. It drives me up a wall. My parents keep track of every food item, and do not let me eat anything without their permission. For instance, I once cooked an egg from the fridge for breakfast, and then at night when I returned from campus, they were yelling at me about it. In general, I’m not allowed to eat any of “their” food during breakfast and lunch times. It’s only during dinner time that they will give some of whatever they made (which often isn’t much and usually still leaves me hungry into the night). I then have to wash the dishes, which takes a long time because they’ve used so many pots and dishes (I’m starting to think that the only reason they let me share a bit of their dinner is so they can use it as leverage to wash their dishes for them afterwards). I’m also not allowed to eat out for my dinner (of course, sometimes I do anyway as they have no way of knowing) – sometimes I would have a late class that ended at 9PM, and when I got home at 10:30PM, my parents expect me not to have eaten dinner yet. Once when I got home, I told them I already ate, and they called me “a piece of trash” and started cursing at me (note that I am spending my own money on this food – and I don’t make a lot from my tutoring gigs). I’m not allowed to buy my own groceries, nor use the kitchen facilities to cook – if I ever want the convenience of eating in this house, I have to buy canned foods from the supermarket and hide them in my room.
Also, I have to clean the floors using a rag with my hands because for some reason, my parents believe that mops/dust sweepers are “ineffective”. Go figure. </p>
<p>And don’t even get me started on how they control my “going out” schedule (generally, I’m only allowed to go out with friends once a weekend, so if I went out on Saturday, I’m not allowed to go out again on Sunday, and vice-versa. Otherwise, they call me nasty names like “whore” and ask me if I’m going out to sell my body). </p>
<p>I would also surmise I don’t use much of their electricity/water bill, as I’m out almost all day from Monday to Friday. (Strangely, when I had insisted that I pay their utility bills, they declined. I think they want me to “pay them” with household work, but sometimes the amount of this work gets in the way of my schoolwork.) </p>
<p>I just find it difficult to concentrate on school – I’m in a demanding major to boot – amidst all this control on top of the commutes. I fully intend to get out of here after May, even if it means I’ll have to couch surf around for shelter for a while (all rent prices are prohibitively high in this big city, and if you make minimum wage, you cannot afford rent). In particular, I’m concerned about being able to find a decent-paying job with some form of health insurance; I’m disabled and disability-protection employment laws are sometimes frighteningly ineffective. I don’t have any friends or relatives who can put me up either.
I’m planning to move to a cheaper, smaller town and get a job there once I graduate, so that I may have a better chance to be self-sustaining. </p>