Keep it up when you’re alone. Do your chores and homework when they’re out of the house. Provide evidence that your alone-time is spent productively and responsibly. Inspire trust that you can be left alone without causing any worries. If you have any younger sibling(s) take care of them.
Set aside your cellphone when you engage them. Show them that they have your full attention. If you receive a call, check who it is and set your phone back down. Show your parents that they’re a priority in your life.
Show gratitude even if the nice thing they do is something you could really do without. If your parents buy season tickets for the local baseball team without realizing that you hate baseball, you don’t have to pretend to love the game, but you should still make a point of thanking them for the effort that they’ve made. Showing appreciation even when you’re disappointed will help ensure that they’ll do the same if and when you disappoint them.
For instance, if you’re going to your friend’s party while their parents are out of town, tell your parents only that you’re going over to your friend’s house. Don’t mention the party or that their parents are away. Although it’s not the whole truth, what you’ve said is technically true, so you’re less likely to give yourself away with nervous tics and tells.
Say your parents ask if your friend is a good kid. You know that, by their definition of “good,” the answer is no. Your friend smokes cigarettes, drinks beer, and sneaks out of his house at night. But despite all that, your friend’s a straight-A student. So, to answer your parents’ question, simply answer, “He’s a straight-A student. ”
