DEAR ABBY: I am almost 19 years old. I live at home with my parents while going to school full-time, working part-time and helping my mother baby-sit two little boys four days a week. I also help around the house whenever I'm asked. I have never given my mother any reason not to trust me. I'm a very responsible young adult.
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My problem is my curfew. My mother feels I should be home every night by 1 a.m., and I feel I am mature enough to decide what time to come home. I have a cell phone and a pager, so I can be reached at any time. I don't get off work until after 10 p.m., and one night a week I would like to stay out late with my friends. It's hard to visit and socialize when I have so little time. -- NIGHT OWL IN NASHVILLE, TENN.
DEAR NIGHT OWL: Your request for an extension of your curfew one night a week sounds reasonable to me. However, in your parents' home they are entitled to make the rules, and as long as you live under their roof, you must abide by their decisions. If your mother is unwilling to relax her restrictions, consider moving out and sharing an apartment with some of your friends. That way you can make your own rules.