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title'Rent Control

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captionWhether they hold you hostage ever y weekend or tr y to be your BFF online, there’s a solution for any parental sitch you’re facing. 46 DOLLY DOLLY.COM.AU DOLLYFAMILY ’Ren t Con t r ol WORDS ERIN VAN DER MEER do0813p046_ par - 46 2013-07-02T10:12:29+10:00

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captionS ing along if you know the words: “I only want what’s best for you.” We’re willing to bet that every parent ever has said this line at least 276 times. Sure, the oldies pretty much always have good intentions, but it defs doesn’t feel like the “best” when they’re forcing you to take up French lessons, killing you slowly with lame-as jokes, or not letting you go to a party (even with a sensible curfew!). Suss out which type of parent you’ve got with some help from the experts and discover how to get Mum or Dad (or both!) to tone down the cray cray behaviour. The Jokester Does your dad whip out the comedy routine whenever your friends come over, while Mum wants to be “one of the girls”? The Jokester parent seems to exist only to embarrass you on a daily basis. But why? (Why?!). A parent who wants to appear funny or cool is probably trying to get closer to you, says counsellor and teen coach Diane McGeachy (dianemcgeachy.com.au). “This approach typically backfires, because teens don’t respect their parents when they behave this way,” says Diane. To stop your face turning red every time your mum or dad is around your friends, explain that they don’t have to act like a teen for you guys to be close. Say this: Psychologist Meredith Fuller (meredithfuller.com.au) suggests softening the blow by asking for the silly jokes to be saved “just for our family”. Coping with a tense convo Use Diane’s top four tips to avoid losing your cool du ring a parental confrontation. • Take deep breaths: When people feel anxious, they tend to take shallow breaths and not get enough oxygen, which makes it harder to think clearly.• Practice mindfulness: Take a minute and ask yourself, “What am I thinking? What am I feeling? What am I doing?”• Change perspective: Could there be a silver lining or lesson to be learnt from this situation? Can you approach it from a more light-hearted viewpoint? • Remember you’re