Have your parents reached that difficult age when you find it almost impossible to have a decent conversation with them? Be patient. Try not to be too critical, especially about their clothes and their choice in music. Remember they are people who:

• rank the day you said your first word among the happiest in their lives. And who would now love to hear you saying lots more words, preferably organised in sentences that don't begin with "Gimme".
• despite appearances to the contrary, used to be young once.
• spent so many years having to do your thinking for you that, understandably, they sometimes forget that you can now think for yourself. They are, honestly, very relieved and very proud that you can.
• can sometimes be short-tempered, sarcastic, supercilious, and say things in the heat of the moment which they might later regret.
• prefer it if their children didn't insist on turning every conversation into a monologue, using it as an opportunity to lecture and pontificate. Of course it isn't only teenagers who are guilty of this. Get some impertinent advice for parents.