They were everything to you once, and - if you're lucky - they will still be central to your life. But there's no doubt that one of the more painful aspects of growing up is disentangling yourself from your parents in order to be able to strike out on your own.

Adolescence aside (a period where feelings run amok and rejection is in the air), you want to maintain a balance between respect for your parents and their way of doing things and striking out on your own as an independent human being. This delicate balance is fragile, and inevitably there will be times when parents get on your nerves, interfere excessively in your life, and make their disapproval palpable. Similarly, there will be times when your parents find you cold, confrontational  and relentlessly self-interested.

There are many ways in which you can improve your relationship with your parents and vice versa, so follow our recommendations...

See Top Tips for Relating to Parents

See Miss Debrett on Family Life

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