Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Accept your feelings
• Method 2 of 4: Avoid your parents at home
• Method 3 of 4: Staying out of the house
• Method 4 of 4: Avoid your parents after you leave home
• Tips
• Warnings

You've probably heard the old saying that if you don't have anything nice to say, it's better not to say anything. This may be appropriate if you have had a conflict with your parents. To avoid saying anything hurtful, you should avoid your parents at home, get out of the house as often as you can, and accept your feelings. If you live on your own, you can take further steps to avoid talking to your parents.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Accept your feelings

1. Assess your situation. Decide if it's really worth avoiding talking to your parents. It's okay to keep your distance while you cool down from a discussion. On the other hand, if you are in some way in trouble, your parents may be able to help you with your situation.
   • It also helps to ask yourself why you are avoiding your parents and what you would like to achieve by avoiding them. By understanding your motivation, you can help yourself understand how best to move forward.
2. Keep a diary. It can help you to see your feelings written on paper. Start by writing freely. Write down everything that comes to your mind. Don't worry about making complete sentences and proper grammar. Add the data to what you wrote so that you can keep a timeline of your feelings. Use a paper journal with a lock or an encrypted document to prevent your parents from reading it.
3. Get it right with your parents, if possible. Give them and yourself a few days to cool down. Then take the first step to work toward peace if they don't do it first. Apologize if you are to blame. If you can't make peace on your own, try to find a neutral third party to work as a mediator.
4. Seek help from a therapist. If you want to avoid your parents, it is a sign that something is wrong with your relationship. Speak to a counselor at school or see a therapist to seek help and advice on how to proceed. You can also consider family therapy if your parents are open to doing it together.
   • If you live with your parents and your situation is dangerous or otherwise unbearable, you can also consider seeing a family member or school counselor to help you find another place to live.

Method 2 of 4: Avoid your parents at home

1. End the conversation. Don't be rude or disrespectful. Give short, no-obligation answers to questions they ask. If they ask if you want to eat or go somewhere with them, politely say no.
   • Break or bend this rule if they ask questions that could potentially lead to reconciliation. Listen before you respond.
2. Lock yourself in your room. Lock your room door. Attach a note to your door explaining that you have locked your door for some space and privacy. If you just lock your door without warning, your parents may start to worry and break it down.
   • If you don't have a lock on your door, put a sign on your door asking people to stay out of your room or at least knock first.
3. Bring your comforts to your room. This includes your books, phone, and game console. Find a cool, dry place to keep some non-perishable snacks and drinks. Keep your phone on vibrate mode or on silent to avoid drawing your parents' attention.
4. Ask your friends not to call your landline home phone. If your parents answer the phone, you will have to confront them when you come to answer the phone. Let your friends call your cell phone, if you have one. If not, keep in touch with email, chat rooms, and instant messaging.
5. Consider your roommate if you have one. If you share a room with your sibling, respect his or her space. Don't take the whole room for yourself. If he or she asks about the situation with your parents, keep your story neutral. Try not to let your sibling take sides.

Method 3 of 4: Staying out of the house

1. Spend more time with your friends. Do something fun to take your mind off your parents. If you have to cry or open your mind, make sure you are with a good friend who will understand you. Even if you're just hanging out and doing nothing, the presence of your friend can work wonders for your mood.
2. Find other ways to go to school. Spending time with your parents in the car can make the situation uncomfortable. If you live close to your school, walk or cycle there. Take public transportation if you can. If all else fails, try driving with your friends.
   • If you have to drive with your parents, keep your headphones in / on all the time.
3. Take a side job after school. Spending time away from home will give you space and independence from your parents. Plus, by earning your own money, you can avoid asking your parents for money. Just make sure your job doesn't conflict with your school, homework, or sleep.
4. Participate in extracurricular activities. Join a sports club that appeals to you. Participate in clubs at school. Volunteer in your community. You will not only get space away from your parents, but also build self-confidence and receive bonus experiences for higher education.
5. Learn at the library. The presence of your parents can add stress and take time away from your learning time. On the other hand, the silence rule introduced in most libraries can make you work without distractions. Study alone or work with a study group. You can also use online databases that you may not have access to at home.

Method 4 of 4: Avoid your parents after you leave home

1. Don't call them back. Hit decline when you see their numbers appear on your phone. If you have a flip-open cell phone, press one of the side buttons to turn off the ring on your phone. In any case, the call will be sent to voicemail. Whether you listen to the message or delete it immediately is up to you.
2. Avoid electronic communications. Don't send them emails back. Unfollow them and make your profiles private if you are connected via social media. If you don't want to end the contact completely, just mute their posts. They won't know, and you can always make them visible again if you eventually make up for it.
3. Keep your physical distance. Do not visit them and tell them not to visit you either. Keep yourself busy if you don't want to have to come up with (possibly fake) excuses. Focus on your career or academic goals. Go out with your friends after work. Go on vacation if you can afford it.

Tips

• Be mature. Your parents are more likely to treat you like an adult if you act like an adult.
• Don't become a recluse. Get out of the house as often as you can.
• A good idea for when you need to spend time with your parents is to wear headphones, even if you're not listening / watching anything, it conveys the hint that you don't want to be addressed.

Warnings

• Don't yell or be rude to your parents. That will give them a reason to punish you. When you need to talk to them, do it quickly and politely.
• Show your parents that you are fine while alone. Showing your parents that you are sad and / or lonely can cause them to worry and draw conclusions about you and what you are doing.