The teenage years are confusing for parents and teens alike. Kids that once seemed open and full of sharing suddenly withdraw.
As a parent, your primary concern may be fostering communication with your teen. Most parents struggle to get something other than a one word response from their teenager.
Its important to understand that you have to be delicate when approaching your teenager. You want to engage your child in conversation without putting them on the defense or causing them to withdraw.
While this can be challenging, the rewards of doing this are great. There are a few key strategies you can adopt to ensure that you foster strong communication and good ties with your teenagers.
Ask Indirect Questions to Facilitate a Conversation. If you ask your teenager a direct question youll probably end up with a one or two word response. Your goal should be encouraging them to talk about things from a broader perspective. To engage your child in a conversation about a particularly issue, consider asking them about something related but not directly tied to the subject you are getting at. Youll help them ease into a discussion of what is on their...