Ha, didn't need to be. I got the hell out of my mom's house on my 18th birthday. We kind of hated each other at that time. The upside is that we've gotten along great ever since. The nature of our relationship was discolored by the fact that I decided to be free about the age of 6, whereas she had other thoughts. As soon as there was no hegemony involved, the relationship took a strong turn for the better.
I think my relationship with my parents has been discolored because I haven't taken them seriously since about the 7th grade. I realized they don't know what they're doing all the time, and I realized they weren't perfect. I treat them as I treat my friends now. This causes me to treat them well & with respect in general, but when they wish to be controlling, it's hard to take them seriously.
I disagree. You can easily recognize someone else as a person and still disagree with them over fundamental issues. I simply fail to take my parents seriously at times. I feel as if most people put up a facade when communicating (in person, anyway). When I feel as if someone isn't being open, I become flippant.