Arguing with your parents? Start with what you agree with. They’ll hear the rest better.

Arguments at home are rarely about the curfew or the phone. Underneath, they are about whether you are taken seriously and whether they are being ignored. Leading with agreement tells them you heard the worry under the rule, and somebody who is not braced for attack can actually listen. It is not a trick, it is removing a reason to fight.

Name the thing they are afraid of and say it first, in your own words. I know you are worried about me driving home late. Then make your request, shorter and calmer than you were planning to.