Whether you're a freshman moving into your dorm at college, or recent graduate moving five hours away to your new adult job, you have felt the pain, guilt, and tears of moving away from your parents. The pain of their puppy tears. The guilt they try to push into your head. And the tears that roll down their face as you turn your back to them and begin your new life without acknowledging their feeble attempts at making you change your mind about your new life. Here are some signs that your parents aren't ready for you to leave the nest.

1. Taking away financial support to entice you to stay.

2. Telling you that you can come home anytime.

3. Calling incessantly when you're not in each other's presence to talk about nonsense.

4. Texting you every hour, on the hour.

5. "Suggesting" that you don't make plans with friends, and hang out at home instead.

6. Making plans before telling you, that way you can't say no.

7. Bringing your favorite homemade food when they come to visit you.

8. Bringing you home whenever life is rough for you, that way they can coddle you until you feel better.

9. Pretending they don't know you participate in, ahem, "extracurricular activities" to avoid any unpleasantry.

10. Treating you like a kid when you are at home.

11. And finally, making any desperate attempt to be tech savvy with the slimmest hopes that it would be more convenient for your communicative lifestyle.

So moms and dads, yes we love you. Yes, you took care of us and nurtured us, but you had your fun and now it's our time. Let us make mistakes and fall on our faces. Let us learn and grow on our own. It's time to spread our wings. If we fall, it will be OK because it's just a learning process in this weird phenomenon called life and we have to be able to live while we can because without our own experiences, without taking advantage of every moment, well, we might be wasting an opportunity and a lifetime.