Yo yo,real talk,hip hop:talking to kids these days is an impossible barrage of'easy now'and'Facebook,Twitter'and'Mum,I think I'm pregnant'.
But while there's nothing worse than a cool dad donning a backwards baseball cap and trying to talk to their kids on their own level,there is one way you can really connect with your gobbledegook spouting teenagers:and that's with graffiti.
With the surge of gallery-grade artist Banksy on the UK streets,graffiti and urban art has as much currency in legitimate art galleries as it does in railway underpasses these days.
And if you're looking for a fresh way to decorate a teenager's bedroom without colouring everything in a gloomy black and letting them wallow upstairs while listening to Nirvana,look no further than taking some graffiti-inspired design from the street to your home.
"There is a lot of interest among families lately,massively,"said Cry,a graffiti artist at AlFreshCo."For the kids it's part of their culture now anyway.There are a lot more people doing this and parents are more forgiving of it,so it's something they do consider having on their walls now."
But you needn't let your teenage tearaways loose with a few illicit cans of spray paint and a healthy respect of the police.
Graffiti-inspired prints,wallpapers and even commissions can make a splash in an adolescent bedroom or hangout area.
Match with chrome ceiling lights and fun lava lamps for mood lighting to suit any mood on the teenage tantrum spectrum.
And what's more,the right makeover could help your kids find their creative side,according to Cry.
"Definitely,if they've got original artwork on their walls,"she says."If they were to do it themselves it's an outlet,something for them to channel their energies into.
"There's a massive scope for what you can do,so you can be as imaginative or as basic as you want to be,"chirpsed Cry."Your imagination is your limit."
