Tired of grunts? One word answers? Nothing at all? Or maybe you’re weary of every conversation turning into a shouting match.
Talking with teenagers can be is tough
. Today’s article has some helpful tips on how to better talk to your kids. After all, what good is all this advice on parenting if you can’t even have a decent conversation with your kid?
Outside of the tips found in this article, one thing we on the NOPOYO team do when leading small groups is ask for kids’ expertise. Ask questions like they’re the teacher. Begin questions with something like “What do you think about…?” or “Can you explain to me…?” and then listen. Let them teach you about their world.
But enough about NOPOYO, here’s snippet from the article:
Someone once said the only thing you have to do to entertain some people is to listen to them. Most kids are yearning for parents who will pay attention to them. I really believe our kids want to talk; it’s just a matter of how we go about it. Smart parents start when their kids are young and keep working at it during adolescence – that time when young people are distancing themselves from their parents but still longing to have connections. When talking with your kids, don’t assume you know and understand their feelings and issues. Their world is very different from the one we grew up in. They are happy to share it with us if we approach it with the right questions and an even better attitude.
Like what you see? Go read the article. Don’t like it? Read it anyway.
https://www.cpyu.org/Page.aspx?id=76867
This post is part of Parent Week. Be sure to check out the other Parent Week posts!