How to Impress Adults When a Teenager

You may be entering a room filled with your parents' friends, mingling at a family reunion or meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time. Whatever the reason, learn to redefine their perception of what a teenager can be by impressing the adults with your appearance, intelligence and personality.

Instructions

1. Dress appropriately. Adults will base their first impression on the way you look so tone down your clothing, hair and makeup if you typically lean toward edgy, wild or risqué styles.

2. Pay attention when someone is talking to you and answer questions politely and promptly. Make eye contact and be friendly. Leave your portable video games, compact disc players or iPod at home.

3. Show interest in the adults by asking questions about families, jobs, backgrounds, recent vacations and favorite movies, for example. Study a little about each person's hobbies beforehand so you'll be able to contribute to the conversation.

4. Discuss your aspirations and interests, particularly those that adults will find interesting, admirable or unusual for a teenager. Talk about college plans, volunteer work, favorite classes and school projects that they might find fascinating.

5. Follow proper table etiquette if you'll be sharing a meal with adults. Keep your elbows off the table, wait until someone passes the food to you rather than grabbing for it and finish chewing before you speak. Help clear the table and offer to help wash the dishes if you're dining at someone's house.

Tips & Warnings

• Although you're trying to make a good impression on the adults and dispel the stereotype of the typical teenager, don't pretend to be something you're not. If you're meeting someone's parents, for example, they may feel manipulated if they discover that your personality, likes and habits are completely different than you claimed.