Handle your most difficult relationships with class and style
Roommates, landlords, professors and parents can all pose problems, but here are some tips to dealing
Sad but true fact of life Number One: Not everyone gets along with everyone else. Sad but true fact Number Two? Not many people know how to appropriately deal with those people who frustrate, annoy or irk them.
Now that most of us have at least one foot in the door that leads us towards the real world of jobs, apartments and time commitments, dealing with people who frustrate the heck out of us becomes a very important skill to master.
As young adults in college, some of the people who are difficult to get along with include parents, professors, roommates and landlords.
Learning how to handle these people with respect - especially in situations where you really just want to shake them for being so irritating - takes a fair amount of time, but it always pays off by earning you respect in return.
Parents are probably the source of the most frustration for college students. Whether they're calling you every day to ask you about everything from your eating habits to your weekend plans or pressuring you about grades, parents seem to effortlessly cause headaches.
They are pros at making you feel inadequate and stupid, and that automatically creates an environment where you are primed for a fight.
The key to dealing with parents is to stay calm through their endless questioning. Only call them when you are in a good mood. Then, listen as they talk to you.
Even if you don't necessarily agree with everything they're saying, parents do have valuable advice to give and truly only want what is best for you. Agree with them during the conversation and tell them that you will think about what they're saying.
Whether or not you choose to follow their advice is totally your prerogative. If the conversation starts to get heated, tell your mom you need to call her back. Set a time limit on your break (an hour or so) and then call back and just ride out the lecture.
If you can handle your parents with patience and calmness, they will be more inclined to view you as an adult capable of analyzing certain situations and then making decisions for yourself.
Now that most of us have at least one foot in the door that leads us towards the real world of jobs, apartments and time commitments, dealing with people who frustrate the heck out of us becomes a very important skill to master.
As young adults in college, some of the people who are difficult to get along with include parents, professors, roommates and landlords.
Learning how to handle these people with respect - especially in situations where you really just want to shake them for being so irritating - takes a fair amount of time, but it always pays off by earning you respect in return.
Parents are probably the source of the most frustration for college students. Whether they're calling you every day to ask you about everything from your eating habits to your weekend plans or pressuring you about grades, parents seem to effortlessly cause headaches.
They are pros at making you feel inadequate and stupid, and that automatically creates an environment where you are primed for a fight.
The key to dealing with parents is to stay calm through their endless questioning. Only call them when you are in a good mood. Then, listen as they talk to you.
Even if you don't necessarily agree with everything they're saying, parents do have valuable advice to give and truly only want what is best for you. Agree with them during the conversation and tell them that you will think about what they're saying.
Whether or not you choose to follow their advice is totally your prerogative. If the conversation starts to get heated, tell your mom you need to call her back. Set a time limit on your break (an hour or so) and then call back and just ride out the lecture.
If you can handle your parents with patience and calmness, they will be more inclined to view you as an adult capable of analyzing certain situations and then making decisions for yourself.
Be the first to comment on this story