Respond calmly but firmly if they criticize you. “I know you don’t like my boyfriend, but I care about him a lot. He makes me happy.” “I know you don’t agree with all of my choices. But this is my life, and I’m proud of the way I’ve chosen to live it.” Use I statements to state your opinion without challenging them. “I’m happy with this job. You have the right to disagree, but this is how I feel.” “I know you feel that way. That’s your opinion and this is mine.” Don’t engage if your parent tries to argue. “I’ve told you that I appreciate what you’ve done for me. We don’t need to argue about that.” “I don’t want to argue with you about this. I know how you feel, and you know how I feel.” Tell them you have to go if you become uncomfortable or hurt. “It was nice to see you, Mom, but I have a bunch of errands to get done today.” “I’m meeting up with a coworker for lunch and we’ve already rescheduled, so I can’t miss it. It was good to see you.”