Dear Professor,

My mother has always been a bit on the controlling side, but now that I’ve gone to college out of town, it has gotten out of control. She calls me three times a day, once when I wake-up, once around lunch and then right before I go to bed. She randomly shows up at my dorm room, just to check-in. On the weekends, she calls me at midnight to make sure I’m in bed and not out partying. If my mother doesn’t leave me alone soon, I’m going to lose it. How can I tell my mother nicely that I need my space?

Sincerely,

Time to cut the

apron-strings

Dear Strings,

Sounds to me like you have a helicopter mother, someone who hovers over you. In essence, you have been your mom’s hobby, and now she has too much time on her hands. Sign her up for “e-harmony”. She can divide her time between weeding out the losers and dating the winners.

Lora Friedrich