My oldest left home right after she graduated high school to live with friends. She was only 18. She moved out for the same reasons. She didn't like her curfew and the rules of the house. She felt she was "old enough" to live on her own. She's now 24 yrs old and has been married for 4 years. I think she's grown up a lot and has turned out okay.

I, too, grieved when my daughter left home, but I came to understand that she was growing up and becoming independent. Since it was I who raised her to be independent, I could only blame myself.

As for your daughter coming back home with a police officer to pick up some of her things, she may have felt threatened on some way (pre-conceived or not) that she would find resistance from you. This could be from the influence of her friends as well.

Teenagers have so much pressure on them from their peers and society and themselves to prove that they're grown up. It's rough on them. They so badly want to establish their independence.

Go with your feelings. Feel your grief, be angry, and then accept the inevitable. Your daughter is growing up. Most of all, be supportive and let your daughter know in some way that you still love her. It helped in my situation, it might help in yours.