MOST parents like to think they can talk to their children, but it’s all too easy to avoid the really tough conversations.

And unhappy children, who bottle up their problems, can sometimes run away.

According to the charity Railway Children, 100,000 children under 16 run away from home every year – that’s one child every five minutes.

Those who experience family problems, including divorce, death, and relationship changes, are three times more likely to run away – and more than a quarter of children addmit to keeping problems and worries to themselves because they’re too scared to talk to their parents.

A study of 500 parents and 500 11 to 16-year-olds by Railway Children, which supports vulnerable young people alone and at risk on Britain’s streets, found that a third of parents would only start a difficult conversation with their child when the issue arises.

Andy McCullough, Railway Children’s head of UK policy and public affairs says: “Often children will say that no-one was listening to them, and no-one seemed to care.

“If you don’t create opportunities for them to speak, then children will internalise problems and try to make sense of them, and often get it wrong.”

Family conflict, often linked to divorce, stepfamilies and bereavement, is the reason most children run away from home.

“Talking to your child and having open conversations, regardless of how awkward they might be, may be all it takes to prevent them from feeling desperate and hopeless enough to consider running away.”

The majority of runaways are aged between 13 and 14, although some are as young as eight and nine years old. More girls run away, but boys tend to run away for longer.

  • Railway Children and Aviva are asking parents to upload their most awkward parenting conversation at avivaconversations.co.uk to help raise awareness of the importance of an honest, open dialogue. For every conversation included, Aviva will donate £2 to Railway Children.