I’ve been thinking about parent-teen communication a bit lately. I recently read the book, How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk. I was pleasantly surprised with some of the advice found between the covers of the book. It’s full of practical tips and actual scripted conversations that can give parents ideas on how to navigate the rough communication waters of an emotional teen. Here’s a quick excerpt:
“Acknowledge your teenager’s feelings. Instead of dismissing your teen’s feelings or giving advice: Identify… Acknowledge… with a word or sound… Give in fantasy what you can’t give in reality… Accept feelings as you redirect behavior.”
Along with that, I found an interesting article by Vanessa Van Petten from On Teens Today. I don’t always agree with her advice, but this article, on how to be a “parental sounding board” made sense to me. Check it out.