Teenage house parties are overrated and stupid.

My parents were the same way with me while I was growing up. I hated it very much then. I am now older and a parent myself. I look back now and am very gratefull they were so protective. It kept me from doing alot of things I know I would have regreted for the rest of my life, it also kept date rape & drugs from being a threat. You have all your life to be an adult. Enjoy being a teenager and give your parents a hug for loving you so much to care.

Who said normal kids do those things? By most peoples standards I was not an overprotective mother but, my son never went to any house parties at 15, he had never been on a plane, and the only camps he had been on were a few school ones. Apart from not getting to spend a night at a friends house, I do not see your mother as over protective by your statements. Perhaps she feels she cant trust you?

Interesting... I'm 53... I don't recall ever being to a "house party" before I was 16 or 17... (I worked) I never "slept over" at a non-family-member's house until I was in college (or after)... I flew on a plane when I was 17 (our school choir sang at Disney World in front of the Princess Palace)... I had been to church camp from the time I was 10 or 11 until about 13, camped out with the Boy Scouts from when I was about 12 until I was 14... And I loved the tents, not the cabins, though I stayed in one of them at least once or twice... I was working from the time I was 11 years old, and by 15 was working in a meat department ... I rode my bike to work ... But work and school are hard to do. Many parents don't make (read that "allow") their kids to work until at least HS or further. What's "normal"... What your friends are allowed to do, or what many kids "get" to do... You may consider the fact that MANY kids your age have already been alcoholics, parents, druggies, shot, stabbed, become gang members, robbed and burgled places, vandalized a lot of stuff, burned things, etc., and their parents could care less, or if they do, there's not much they try to do to get them "straight". Your mother wants you to have a REAL life ... Be VERY thankful that she DOES care for you. A lot of kids grow up not knowing that feeling of security.

OK, so is there a dad in the house? Good moms tend to lean to the over protective side and good dads tend to allow a little more adventure. If she is truly over-protective, she's really going to freak out when you are able to drive. No parent can watch a kid 24/7 especially when they become teenagers. You must show your mom that you are trustworthy and responsible.Do you have one good friend? Has she met her/his parents and trusts them for you to go do something with them? You're only 15, start talking with your mom about these things in as mature a way as possible. Don't whine. Talk calmly.

I can see why you're frustrated. I never got to have some of those experiences as a teen either, and while people may think they're no big deal, it does impede your ability to socialize with peers because you don't have that common ground of shared experiences to talk about. So there's nothing wrong with wanting to go to parties, attend a sleepover, fly a plane, or go to camp...but you will have to work within the system to get some of these privileges. Could you try inviting a friend over to your house? If your mom meets your friends and sees that they're trustworthy, she may be more lenient about letting you visit (it also wouldn't hurt to have the friend talk about how much she'd love to have you over to her house, and that her family wouldn't mind either). Follow a similar approach with camping and flying. Pick a specific camp that you want to visit, gather information on it, and talk to counselors and/or past campers. Then show your mom some camp brochures. If you want to fly, look up discount flying rates and gather statistics about how safe flying actually is. The best way to combat fear is through information. She'll be impressed that you did your research, even if she doesn't show a change in her attitude towards you.

I had lots of fun with friends at school and I never went to a single "house party". I never even drank until I was in my twenties but I still had a great time in high school. I only have two times in my life that I can't remember because of alcohol and I'm not proud of them. I know what I did now and I didn't do anything crazy but just the fact that I drank that much is very disappointing. Parties and alcohol are ridiculously overrated. Have quality fun with friends that you can remember and get decent grades. Then you won't need to remember doing stupid crap in high school because you'll be too busy leading a successful adulthood.