Want the homestead to be as stress-free as an episode of SEVENTH HEAVEN? psychologist Dr. David Jeckman has the following tips for improving things with your folks:

Communication
That doesn't mean complaining about how many chores you have to do; it's about listening to and understanding each other. Maybe when Mom grumbled that you don't do anything around the house, what she really meant was you forgot to take out the trash last night. So get to the bottom of things before World War III breaks out.

Negotiation
If you don't like the house rules, ask if you can modify them—sort of like an amendment to the Constitution. Discuss a fair punishment for breaking a rule in advance, and if you screw up, stick to what was discussed.

Work it OUT
Spend only 20 percent of your energy discussing a problem and 80 percent resolving it, Jeckman says. So Mom and Dad want you home by 11, but the movie ends at 10:45. Don't waste time screaming. Explain that it's a 25-minute ride from the theater, so it would be physically impossible for you to get home by curfew.