Many parents complain that teenagers don’t want to spend their free time with them. What do you think about this?

I think that it is not very easy to spend free time with parents. You see, planning how to spend week-ends is a difficult question for our family because everyone has a hobby of their own. For example, mother is a home sort. She likes watching TV and knitting. Father is always ready to go fishing. My favourite pastime is listening to music (playing computer games), but unfortunately I’m too pressed for time now and I can’t indulge in my hobby.

3. Let’s talk about family relationships.

1) Let’s talk about family relationships. What kind of relationships are there in your family?

There is a wise saying “Blood is thicker than water”. It means that family ties are the strongest, and that all the members of the family support one another in times of need. I’m happy to say that my home is the place where everybody understands, respects and loves me. To my mind, this is the way things should be in any family. All the members of my family are great friends,my parents always try to see my point of view and I try to take into consideration all their arguments,and although our opinions do not always coincide, we try to achieve a mutual understanding. My parents are frank and honest with me,they treat me without moralizing or bossing me, and in my turn I learn how to treat other people and how to form relationships with my peers. I enjoy honest and open relationships in my family. I like it when my parents trust me and give me enough freedom. I can always bring my friends home and my parents are very positive about it, although they don't always approve of our tastes or views.

2) Are you on good terms with your parents and grandparents?

I am on good terms with my parents. I have an excellent father, very involved and protective towards us and we love him dearly. And my mother always tries to help me as much as she can. My grandparents live rather far away but they are frequent guests in our house. They love me dearly, always bring me presents and give valuable advice when I need it. And when I visit them, I help them with their work about the house and on the vegetable plot. My family is very united and I am happy to have such a good family.

3) What will you ask a British teenager about his relatives?

4) What can you advise people who want to have a good relationship with their parents and grandparents?

Love, understanding and respect must always be present in the family to make it happy. A lot of activities help family members to be on friendly terms and to form a good relationship: discussing plans together, going on trips together, visiting museums, theatres, watching films and exchanging opinions about them, sharing the same joys and sorrows.

5) They say that parents and children have difficulties understanding each other because of the generation gap. What do you think about this problem?

Fortunately, I don’t often feel the so-called generation gap, though, in my opinion, it is inevitable in most families. You see there is a period of 20 or 30 years between parents and their children, and life changes a lot during this period. Very many things around us change: manners, codes of behavior, fashions, movies, music, tastes and so on and so forth. And some parents can’t understand their children’s world, which is so unlike theirs. They often nag (ворчат), “I didn’t use to do this or that at your age.” And the children often think, “Of course, Mum, how could you spend hours in the Internet or play computer games 30 years ago?”

Every new generation is different from the one that preceded it. And naturally their views and opinions don’t always coincide. But I think that if the members of the family are great friends, they will try to achieve a mutual understanding.

4. Let’s talk about friendship and relationship with friends.

1) Let’s talk about friendship. What role do friends play in your life?

Frankly speaking I can’t say that I have a lot of friends. You see, I’m rather choosy. I think that a friend to all is a friend to none and that friends should be few but good. I consider friendship to be the most precious gift in life. When we have friends, we are never lonely.

My best friend is Mary (Alec). We are nearly the same age. Actually she (he) is only 2 months older than me. We have a lot in common: we share the same interests and attitude to life. Our opinions usually coincide, and even if they differ, we never quarrel, there is a mutual understanding between us. Whenever I’m in trouble she (he) is always willing to lend me a helping hand.

I like my friend’s appearance. Mary is really charming. She has green eyes, long eyelashes and straight blond hair. She is quite tall, a bit taller than I am. We get on well and we can always rely on each other. Mary is easy to deal with and she is very sociable. (Alec is rather handsome. He’s got light grey eyes and straight dark hair. He is quite tall, a bit taller than I am. We get on well and we can always rely on each other. Alex is easy to deal with and he is very sociable.)

Mary (Alec) is a good mixer and it is easy to get along with her (him). She (He) is a little bit disorganized but I don’t think it is really a fault. I like my friend very much and I hope that we shall always be devoted friends.

2) Can you rely on your best friend? Why (not)?

I have a few friends who I can absolutely rely on and with whom I can share my top secrets. My best friend Mary (Alec) is certainly among them. She (He) has never let me down.