B etween Parents and KidsProbles

As Barbara Frazier, licensed social worker and editor of the

online parent resource The Successful Parent, explains, the quality of the relationship between parents and their children is often threatened by long, non-traditional work hours and the influence of social media. Spending more quality time with your child, engaged in activity or conversation, can help mend a troubled relationship.

shows that effective communication is essential in building a strong

parent-child relationship. Effective communication involves both speaking and listening to what others have to say.

by inquiring about events in their lives and using play

activities to strengthen communication. Adolescents can benefit from instructional, yet empathetic, discussions with parents, and they may resist parental communication that is overly authoritarian.

displays of acting-out behaviors, in the parent-child relationship, says child

development assistant specialist Deborah Richardson at Oklahoma State University's Cooperative Extension. Acting out includes the demonstration of disruptive behaviors, such as violence toward others and defiance toward authority. Improved communication and quality time spent between you and your child can decrease these behaviors and enhance your relationship.

redirect teenage misbehavior.

frustrating time for both parents and teens, as parents realize

that old disciplinary strategies no longer work, and teens struggle to balance their need for independence alongside parental rules. Parents can use disciplinary strategies that teach their teens how to make wise choices as they become more independent, as opposed to simply utilizing strategies designed to keep teens compliant.

that many parent-child relationships break down because of the power

struggles that revolve around respect. Peterson believes that while many parents are fixated on the idea that their child automatically show respect to authority figures, some parents have not learned to treat their children with the same desired respect. A focus on cooperation, not compliance, is what Peterson suggests is a viable approach to establishing a mutually respectful relationship between parent and child.