Reply #14: I do.

[Xithras]

I think it has something to do with how we perceive our parents. Many people go through their entire lives objectifying their parents and placing them on a special parental "pedestal". If you do this, if you give more credence to your parents opinions or somehow see them as "different" from everyone else on the planet, then you're far less likely to have an open and frank relationship with them. I think that a lot of this has to do with the fact that, even as adults, many people still seek their parents acceptance for their lives and choices. They may no longer ask ahead of time, but they are hurt when their parents disapprove, and subconciously still assign a parental role to them.

For other people, like me, part of becoming an adult meant adjusting that worldview to see your parents as equals, not superiors. My dad is one of my best friends, and I give his views of my life and family just as much credence as I'd give to any of my other friends, but I neither seek his approval or objectify him simply because he is my parent. He's a friend, and I have no obligations to him nor he to me, and from that starting point we can have conversations on just about any subject.