This article was written by a young person from Wigan.

If anyone says that they have never had conflict with their parents…they’re probably lying. Even the most calm, well-behaved, kind or happy people have conflicts with their parents.

It doesn’t have to be a case that you’ve done something wrong, it could just be that you and your parents have a difference of opinion on a certain matter and it brings you into an argument with them.

Just to explain what 'conflict' is, it means either a very serious argument which usually lasts a long time, or a clash of opinions, interests, etc. It may sound patronising to give a definition, but actually I wanted to look it up myself to see if it meant anything different to 'argument' and I realised that the difference is that a conflict is usually an argument which lasts a very long time.

This is important to realise, because whilst little arguments are inevitable sometimes with anyone you live with or are close to, a long period of conflict with your parents can cause both you and your parents much unhappiness and stress. It may even impact on your mental health, causing you all to feel down and depressed. This, in turn, may impact your physical health, causing you to eat less, exercise less, etc. which may make you feel even worse - a vicious circle!

So, it is important that you try to put an end to conflict with parents as quickly as possible.

Personally, I hate conflict of any sort. I’m the kind of person who would go and apologise to someone even if I know they’re in the wrong, just to end any bad feelings between us. Unfortunately, that probably isn’t the best approach and usually ends up with you looking and feeling a bit like a push-over. However, despite the fact you don’t want to be a pushover, you should also want to maintain peace as much as possible, especially with your parents. After all, they are the reason you’re alive and (most parents anyway) feed you, clothe you and probably love you much deeper than you will ever realise.

It is a myth that there is a generation gap between parents and teenagers, making the two sides unable to understand each other. Therefore, conflicts are getting more common in home life, which concerns many people about the negative and unpredictable consequences of those. However, some think that conflicts play a key role in children’s growth.

In a debate, each side tries to point out the other’s mistakes and give as strong support as possible. Thus, in a conflict, teenagers get a chance to recognize their merits which are pointed out by their parents. On top of that, parents can understand how their children think about them and their mental development, paving the way for easier upbringing.

Nevertheless, some say that conflicts are by no means good because it can lead to teenagers’ rebellious streak. They will get away from home unless parents find the way to prevent the escalation of the conflict. Then, under peer pressure they tend to listen to their friends more than they do to their parents. And it is serious if their friends are bad and encourage them to commit crimes.

In short, although an argument lets teenagers know how immature they are, when it turns to a conflict, the gap between parents and teenagers will be widen, resulting in wrong thoughts and actions of these adolescent individuals. It is recommended that conflicts should be lessened as much as possible by the responsibility of both parents and their children.