Try the following tips:

Tip one: Write it out. If you are feeling underappreciated and under-loved despite the fact that you are trying hard, it is time to do or say something. Sometimes speaking is not going to work, our emotions cloud our judgment and we do or say things we ought not to do or say. So, instead of letting your frustration get the best of you, and ruining a potentially helpful confrontation, write out your feelings. Let the person know that you are trying, that you are doing what you think they expect and want from you, but feel a lack of response, love, or acceptance of your offer. Focus on what you do, and how you feel more than on what they do, as you do not want to put them on the defensive, rather get them to see how their actions affect you.

Tip two: Find a connection somewhere. If the person you can't seem to please is non-responsive, it is critical that you find appreciation somewhere. Being appreciated and loved is essential for our health, so find someone who can help you with that area. It might be a different sibling, or the other parent, or a friend, or neighbor. If none of them can help you find that recognition and appreciation, seek the help of a therapist, guidance counselor, etc. If you are feeling fulfilled elsewhere, you won't need to please that person you can't please so much, and the affects won't be as devastating to you.

Tip three: Don't change your habits. If you are the straight A student, and a good kid who comes home by curfew and rarely breaks the rules, do not change that just because your parent is taking it for granted, or never satisfied with what you do. If you can't please them, it is not about you, it is about them. They may be struggling with personal issues, depression, low self-esteem, etc. which is taken out on you through their inability to see the good in you. So, do not become bad to punish them, as it will only punish you in the long run. Instead just keep doing what you do, and follow tip two to find someone else to appreciate it. If they snap out of their issues, they will eventually appreciate it, but if they don't, do not make your life worse by doing something stupid on order to spite them.