<p>Another thought, westcoastmom: This transition really helped me to clarify the difference between wanting to be asked for permission, and simply wanting to know where D was going and with whom. We often have talks about the need to communicate with the people you love, not just to ask for permission, but because you respect them and don’t want to worry or inconvenience them. Heck, I expect my husband to tell me if he’ll be home for dinner or not. This is just basic courtesy.</p>
<p>I’m actually glad I gave D so much freedom her senior year, because I worry less about her misusing her freedom this year, her first in college. We also got to go over some lessons I missed in her upbringing, such as teaching her to hand out granola bars instead of money to beggars.</p>