High-quality parenting practices in adolescence lay the foundation for close parent-child relationships when the children become young adults, according to new research. The findings of this study were published recently in the Developmental Psychology. The research team surveyed 1,631 participants in a long-term research study of families in rural and semi-rural Pennsylvania and Iowa who completed surveys between sixth and 12th grades besides at age 22. The study also found that parents who were skilled at using effective discipline with their sixth grade children -- and maintained these effective practices over the course of adolescence -- had less conflictual relationships when their children were in their 20s. "Parents should avoid harsh consequences and yelling at their teens, and work to stay calm and consistent in upholding family rules," said Shichen Fang, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University and former postdoctoral fellow at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center. "Adolescents want to feel respected and treated like adults. It's important to have clear reasons for family rules and consequences."