Talk to Your Mom About Anything

Constantly clashing? Go from major miscommunication to seriously in sync.

- By Katherine Hammer

Sure, she’s the one you text when you need a ride home from practice or to review flash-cards before your next vocab quiz. But, let’s be honest, she’s also the one you bicker with about pretty much, well, everything.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, take this as a sign to try seeing eye-to-eye with your mom (or stepmom/aunt/grandma/whatever amaze female helps you through the day-to-day).

Not sure how to start? We asked the experts (and real moms) to share their best advice on how to have honest, authentic and productive conversations—even when it seems like your mother-daughter love train is veering off the rails.

STEP 1: Pick your moment.

Though it’s sometimes impossible, try not to dive headfirst into a tricky talk. A lot of arguments stem from lack of preparation, too much distraction or simply a “wrong place, wrong time” situation.

Say you tanked your math midterm. The time not to bring it up? Five minutes before the parent-teacher conference. Hoping for permission to extend your curfew? When she’s stuck in traffic on the way to your brother’s basketball tournament = not the moment to ask.

For tough conversations with the potential for a blowup, stick to some key parameters, suggests psychologist and parenting expert Reena B. Patel.