Let’s be honest. There is no way that you were a perfect child growing up. In the same way, it’s highly unlikely that your parents were flawless as well. Even though there is no example of a perfect family, it doesn’t hurt to try to aim for that. It might be a little harder to convince your parents to be better people. Instead, try working out your own flaws so that you can become a better son or daughter.

1. Talk to Your Parents

The easiest way to be a better child is to simply call your parents and talk to them. It doesn’t matter about what. Talk about your day or what has happened to you recently. If you trust your parents, then don’t be afraid to gossip with them or share some secrets. Especially for college students, your parents are always wondering about your life now that you no longer spend that much time at home. Never be afraid to call and talk to your parents. They should always be the ones that you can go to for anything.

Sometimes there is tension built on the parent-child relationship. Honestly, the best way to solve this problem (as well as other relationships) is to talk about it. Confrontation can be hard sometimes, but not doing anything about the situation isn’t necessarily going to help it. Put in the effort to rebuild the relationship to its former glory.

2. Stop Lying

This is where some of the tension between you and your parents might come from. If you are lying to your parents to avoid some kind of argument or punishment, please stop. If anything, you’re going to make it worse. Sure, it’s not fun when your parents are scolding you about a mistake you made, but it’ll be worse if they don’t find out right away. Parents want the best for you. So don’t try to take advantage of that by lying to them.

3. Show Some Respect...

Just as your parents want the best for you, they also expect something similar in return. Instead of wishing them success and prosperity, parents would rather prefer respect from their children. To them, knowing that their son or daughter respects them as a parents kind of validates why they wanted to have a child in the first place. It may not seem like much to you, but your parents will appreciate much more than you could ever understand.

4. And Some Love

Something else that your parents want more than anything else in the world is your love. It might sound cheesy, but it is true. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, your parents have always loved you since the day you were born. They still love you and will continue to for a while. If they can love you that much, then it should be easy to do the same for them.

5. Be Grateful for What They've Done for You

Your parents have made many sacrifices for you. They have put in endless hours, dollars, and effort to be there for you. It’s hard to remember everything that they’ve done for you, but it’s never a bad idea to be grateful for anything. Whether it be buying you a car or teaching you to ride a bike, parents have done a lot. They have been there for some of your greatest achievements and milestones. They’ve taught you many lessons and given you countless pieces of advice. With everything that they’ve done, you sometimes forget to simply thank them.

On behalf of all children, thank you, parents, for everything you have done for us. We can only hope to make it up to you someday.