Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers  . But last summer , Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son : suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents . " The door to his room is always shut ." Joanna  noticed .
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old  daughter . "She used to cuddle up  with me on the sofa and talk ," said Mark . "Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something . Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady . The problem is figuring out which time is which ."
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what's on their minds . "In fact , parents are first on the list ." said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers . "This completely changes during the teen years ." Riera explained . "They talk to their friends first , then maybe their teachers , and their parents last ."
Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them . To break down the wall of silence , parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say , and try to find ways to talk and write to them . And they must give their children a mental break , for children also need freedom , though young . Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend , not a manager , with their children is a better way to know them .
"The door to his room is always shut" suggests that the son  _  .
is always busy with his studies doesn't want to be disturbed keeps himself away from his parents begins to dislike his parents