How to fill that awkward silence: 'I love you.' Your teen will
hate it - and love it  Tonia is lying on the couch watching
television. Her mother comes into the room to look for a pencil,
finds one next to the magazines and leaves.  Adam is in his room
with the door closed. His parents are both home. Over the course
of the next three hours, there are no verbal exchanges between
them.  Morgan's dad drops her off at soccer practice. She
mumbles "Bye," as she darts out of the car.  Lance, on the way
to his room, passes his father in the hallway. No words are
spoken between the two.  Once they hit their teens - as part of
the normal temporary allergy to parents - a child's end of
conversations can all but dry up. It becomes very easy to go
through days with virtually no communication, apart from day-to-
day business.  "Ryan, don't forget you said you'd take out the
recycling."  "Sure, whatever."  Days at a time - maybe even more
than days - can go by with no real loving contact between a
parent and a teen. Even if