How to make my parents extend my curfew?
For context, my parents went through different childhoods/adolescences regarding strictness (my dad is Nigerian, but moved to London at 8 while my mum is Japanese and stayed there until her early 30s both grew up in the 80s/90s). My mum had to go to the local uni in her hometown, no earrings until after graduating university, had to be home by 4pm after school and if she wanted to go out with friends, she had to warn my parents and go through an interview-like process just to leave the house. My dad’s parents were the complete opposite.
Whilst my dad’s parents weren’t that strict, they were way less strict in comparison to my maternal grandparents. When my dad secretly got his ears pierced at 16, whilst they weren’t happy, they didn’t make a big fuss about it. No curfew was ever enforced and his parents were more lenient on him and his brothers (whole different story for his sisters though).
As for me, I always had the stricter parents out of all my friends, particularly my dad. My curfew was 6:30pm (unless there was a party, then my mum would pick me up at 10pm, sometimes 10:30pm if my dad wasn’t home) until after I finished my exams at 18, where it was pushed back to 10. My dad hates piercings, tattoos and braids and told me I wasn’t allowed to get them until I was 25 (I’m assuming he was exaggerating about the age but he still isn’t fond of them). My mum thinks he’s too strict and took me to get my ears pierced at 16 (wore a bonnet to cover my ears) and braids done this summer for the (again wore a bonnet to cover my hair). He polices the clothing I wear, telling me to cover up my shoulders (he especially hates tube tops) or avoid wearing clothes that are too tight.
I was talking with my dad’s side of the family when I went to visit my cousins and they were laughing at how strict my dad is especially. I then told them about how i still have a curfew and I still don’t go out when he has a day off work and they were pretty shocked. My aunt and uncle said that as soon as their kids started uni, they’re adults and a curfew is no longer in place.
Is a curfew and my dad’s actions normal for a 19 year old? If not, how can I convince my parents to just get rid of the curfew altogether?
Posted Jul 11, 2026, 1:39 PM UTC