Dear parents,
I am 18 years old and as a teenager, I am sure that the key to a good relationship between parents and their children is communication. Once that is established, the rest follows. Sure, you don't need to be your child's best friend, but they are certainly more likely to ask you for advice about anything if you communicate regularly.
Just because regular communication is a must for any good relationship, this does not mean that parents and their children need to agree on everything they talk about. I remember when I was 15 years old and first told my mum that I was sexually active, and she absolutely lost it and called me hurtful names for nearly a fortnight. I was so appalled that she would react in such a way, because I believed that if I was ready to be honest and tell her about it that she would understand that I was being mature about it, and be thankful that I was being honest. Although my actions did not have the immediate results I expected, my mother has eventually come around and now we are able to talk about things like the pill in a mature, responsible way.
It is important that children can be able to talk with their parents about sex, contraception, drugs, gambling and alcohol, with the parents constantly baring in mind that teenagers will experiment, and that they were probably up to the same at that age. My parents have always been available to talk with about such issues and I believe that I have been raised right by my parents because I could talk to them knowing that they would not judge me and that honesty and openness can keep the friendship alive.
