Let's face it, the relationship between young adults and their parents is arguably the weirdest gray area to navigate during college years. Your parents become some of your best friends in college, yet at the same time, drive you crazier than ever. It's the classic scenario of having to put up with the bad in order to get the good. Among that good, are the times when they come up to visit you at your school and (hopefully) treat you to a nice lunch or dinner. However, as you're preparing to dive in to your seafood platter and strawberry cheesecake, you know one thing is inevitable: the "Parental Press Conference."

What is the "Parental Press Conference?" To sum it up quickly, it's that constant period present throughout the entire visit where your parents are constantly firing questions at you as if you're an NFL head coach in the week before the Super Bowl. "Where do you eat most of the time?" "Where is that?" "Do you party every weekend?" "How many times have you washed your sheets?" "Did you ever get in touch with your Uncle?" "Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend yet?" These are just some of the dozens of questions your parents ask when they come to visit, but if the "Parental Press Conference" truly is inevitable, then it's best to be prepared to handle it. In this article, I'll give two pieces of advice for what to do before your parents visit, and three pieces of advice for what to do during the visit.

Let's start with what to do BEFORE the visit.

Have a plan in place for the exact day and time your parents will visit.

Nothing tenses up the vibe of a parental visit more than an unexpected arrival. If you went to a party, and woke up the next morning to a phone call from your parents saying they're 10 minutes away as you realize you're hungover and smelling like vodka, then neither you or your parents are going to be too happy. To avoid this embarrassingly horrible situation, simply give your parents a call and communicate with them when the best time for a visit is, and create a concrete plan for scheduling the visit. Not only will your mind be at ease, but your parents will also appreciate that you communicated with them and might not fire as many questions when they actually are with you.

Let your friends know when the visit is going to occur.

This one might not seem like a big deal, but think about this. Say you live in an apartment, and your roommates are throwing an extremely messy and crowded party with loads of alcohol and loud music blasting. You leave amongst the chaos to meet your parents, have a great meal together, and as they're about to drop you off at your apartment door, Dad says, "Is that OK if I use your bathroom?" You're now stuck between a rock and a hard place, because regardless of how you answer this question, they're going to know something's up. In order to avoid having to send a desperate last minute text to your roommate to quiet down and hide the party in the 90 seconds before you and Dad come in, let your friends know that your parents are coming to visit, and you don't want them creating distractions in your living space or oversharing if your parents want to meet your friends. Parents are unpredictable, so it's beneficial that you and your friends are on the same page.

Just doing those two quick things before the visit will create a comfortable vibe between you and your parents, and won't make the "Parental Press Conference" as difficult or as harsh. Now, let's discuss what to do as the question firing is actually happening.

If you haven't gotten done something your parents wanted you to do, be honest and apologize rather than lie or make excuses.

Six weeks ago, your parents called you and asked if you could take just 10 minutes of your time to call Uncle Jerry and thank him for a $100 birthday check. Six weeks have come and gone, and you've completely forgotten all about it. Yes, you've been drowning in homework, projects, a few clubs and maybe a part time job, but at the end of the day, it really only is 10 minutes. From experience, I can say your parents won't be nearly as upset if you're honest and apologetic rather than trying to make excuses. Whatever you do though, do NOT lie.

If you don't want your parents asking about things like partying, alcohol, or drugs, don't create conversation that might initiate that discussion.

This one might sound obvious, but every family is different in terms of the boundaries they set when discussing things like these. If you know your parents boundaries and feel comfortable bringing the subject up, then that's absolutely fine! However, if your parents set stricter boundaries or have never even discussed the boundaries with you, then it's best just to save the talk for another time where you can have all the time in the world to speak freely and feel comfortable. The transition from a teenager to a young adult is just as stressful for the parent as it is for you, and conversations like these can be a huge factor as to why.

Lastly and most importantly, give your parents clear answers and not just "Yeah" or "Nah."

As a young adult, it's the hope of your parents that you've gotten past the teenage phase of "yeah-ing," "nah-ing," and "whatever-ing" every single question they ask you, and the perfect time to prove yourself is when they visit you at school. The reason your parents are visiting in the first place is because they're excited about the life you're living and want to know about it! If your parents also went away to school, there's a chance their parents did the same exact thing. Let your answers flow naturally and enjoy the conversation as your being treated to that wonderful meal. Remember, the whole visit is only pushing a few hours, so don't be afraid to converse!

Hopefully these tips become useful to you when it's your time to experience your inevitable "Parental Press Conference." Remember to take deep breaths, and try not to stress out or think about it too much. After all, they're still your parents and love you no matter what!