Do chores and clean their room unless you tell them to
As teenagers, we value our freedom. We aren't little children anymore, and we know it. We can cook, clean, drive, even get a job at a certain age. We're only a few years from moving out and being our own boss, but another thing we are is impatient.
Another reason, my own personally, is that we want to prove to our parents that we're somewhat responsible. If we go to clean our room of our own free will, an adult would appreciate it much more than if they told us to. Therefore, by telling your kid to clean their room, even if they're on their way to do just that, will make them not want to do it even more. It's basically a lose-lose situation.
Blow up at you for no reason whatsoever
Aside from the obvious rebellion, a teenager may be feeling very frustrated and displace those emotions on you, though you don't deserve it. It may be triggered by something very tiny, such as asking them to clean off the counters or go get your purse from the car. However, they may be sitting down doing some serious thinking that you just interrupted (or were on their way to clean up the kitchen without your knowing it). Maybe you demand a lot of them, who knows. Point is, get your own purse every now and then. Try to know if your kid is having a rough time. You're their parents, and they know you're going to love them forever (you kind of have to) whereas that friend they're mad at might not.
Don't answer personal questions or tell you much about their day
We aren't hiding anything usually, and we aren't always on drugs. Sometimes we just want our space, or maybe you don't really listen and your teen is trying to tell you about his or her life. Maybe you ask too many questions and make your kid feel like you're trying to see if they're doing anything wrong. That always make a teen defensive and quiet.
Try to think to back when you were a teen. Sure, things have changed, but the onset of hormones, a newfound interest in the opposite sex, a higher sense of independence, a desire for more freedom, stronger emotions, a desire to fit in, being embarrassed by parents, and that overall emotional confusion and pointless sadness over irrelevant issues such as looks haven't changed any. Not all teens are just evil brats.
