It's funny. As a 21-year-old, I can confidently say that I'm really content with the relationship I have with my parents today. I feel very lucky, because I know it can be so difficult to maintain a good relationship with your folks over the years.

However, it wasn't always this easy, natural, or loving. For a couple years, I was in somewhat of a rebellion phase. I hung out with the wrong people, did a couple stupid teenage things, and did everything in my power to really just piss my parents off.

The biggest reason? They were are overprotective. From the moment I was born. I wrestled with this for YEARS. I hated it. I really, truly, for the life of me could not believe how unfair it was that I was stuck with overprotective parents that didn't let me do anything teens my age were doing.

And I'm not exaggerating by much when I say anything.

I couldn't have sleepovers at my friends' houses, even if I had been friends with that girl for years. I wasn't allowed to be dropped off at the mall in middle or high school to hang with friends and shop. I couldn't stay out past 11 p.m. most of the time even AFTER I turned eighteen during senior year. I was never allowed to go to a party if my parents had any say. If I had plans with people, my parents had to know every single detail down to where they lived. Don't snort, I'm being real!

So, in turn, I did what a lot of 15, 16, and 17-year-old kids did. I resented and rebelled. I went to a few parties here and there the last two years of high school. I stayed out late on purpose. I'd hang out with the wrong people that I knew my parents didn't approve of.

Now, four years post-high school and about to graduate college, I look back on those interesting years and really heave a sigh of relief and say thanks. Luckily, by the time I got to college, I had gotten my rebelliousness out of my system and essentially became a grandma in a 20-year-old's body.

But I say I heave a sigh of relief and say thanks for a reason. Had my parents, especially my mom (my dad is an infamous softie), not been so strong-willed and dedicated to being protective, I could have definitely gone down the wrong path. I could have stayed friends with those badly influencing people, I could have continued to lie about the things I was doing, and I could have continued doing stupid things in general.

But I eventually grew out of it, and as I said, today my parents and I are like best friends. I don't think this would have been the outcome had my parents let me have free reign throughout high school.

I would often have friends that had really easygoing parents tell me that they (kinda, sorta, maybe) wished they had parents like mine sometimes. I couldn't believe this. Why would anyone want extremely overprotective and involved parents? Their reasoning was simple: it was just nice my parents cared so much. They found it interesting and unique that when I wasn't home, I was getting texts from my mom every hour asking where I was and if I was OK. By the way, this still happens and I'll be 22 in a few months.

During high school, it did feel suffocating. I did want to rebel. Constantly. I hated feeling like I couldn't do anything. Parenting doesn't seem very easy, and until I'm a parent myself I don't think I ever have the right to judge how my parents raised their kids. I was also their first child, so it's not like I came with a manual.

During one of our many screaming matches, I would just yell, "Why are you doing this to me?!" And my mom would just say, "You'll get it someday when you have kids of your own."

I acknowledge and believe that being overprotective can have negative outcomes too. They say overprotective parents raise the best liars, and force their children to live a double life.

I guess I was one of the lucky ones.

And now, I see the positive outcomes from how I was raised. I've come to appreciate my parents being overly protective and cautious while living in a world that's sadly becoming increasingly dangerous by the day. They put that effort and work into being a certain way, and I think I'll likely raise my own children with much of the same philosophy.

But don't worry future daughter, you'll be allowed to have sleepovers. Maybe. Does twice a year sound good?