HEY, MIKE! I can’t stand my parents. Is there any hope that we’ll ever get along — or can I somehow just avoid them until I leave home?
—M.W., Lexington Park, Md.
Yes, there is hope. No, you can’t just avoid them. (I mean, you have to leave your room sometimes to go to the bathroom, right?!)
Here’s the deal. A “War of Independence” has erupted between you and your parents — one that started when you became a teenager. Don’t panic, because it’s perfectly normal. Nearly every teen and parent experiences this phase.
Here are two key ways you can you survive this . . . and even improve your relationship with your family.
• Don’t shut down or put up a 10-foot thick wall between you and your parents. This creates more tension between you and them. Instead, make an effort to talk to your parents about stuff that bugs you, as well as what’s going on in your life.
• Understand the battle. As a teenager, you’re very sensitive about personal injustice, self-worth, independence, privacy and love. Again, making an effort to communicate this to your parents — as well as listening to their side — will ultimately open the doors to greater understanding . . . which will eventually release some of the pressure. 
