How To Avoid Parents

My character has a tenuous relationship with her folks. She loves them and all, but she would rather not have them drop by her apartment and likes to avoid talking with them on the phone. How would a person go about making sure their parents don't visit them, even if they only live a couple of hours away?

Have her pretend she's busy with work/school/applicable things, but she's there for their visits/calls just enough to keep them from getting suspicious.

Not that I'm talking from experience or anything.

Some parents might just believe it's their own kid's life. Or they might be travelling, now that they have no kid.

She could purposely make sure she has an overworked schedule, so that way she wouldn't exactly be lying when she says "I'm sorry, I can't talk right now, I've got lots to do!"

Is there any particular reason the character doesn't want the parents around?

@AHR: Some folks might not, but I think the OP implies that these are the kind of folks who would want to.

I second "pretending to be busy a lot." With perhaps a side-order of "outright pretending not to be home if they drop by suddenly."

There is always the good old 'guilt trip' approach. "Oh, you guys: I love you to bits and you did a good job bringing me up to be sensible. Can't you trust me to live my life? If I need help, I'll be sure to tell you. If I'm very happy, that too."

She could try preventative measures like visiting them instead.

I think her parents would probably be too busy with their own lives to check in with her every day, so you probably don't really have to try to keep them away. They would have other things to do, especially since now they don't have to worry about watching a kid.

Unless her parents are helicopter parents, then disregard this.

edited 25th Jan '12 7:38:01 PM by BlackElephant