6 Ways to Connect Well with Your Teen
At our summer camp in the U.S. Midwest, we realize that it can sometimes be a challenge connecting with teens. A recent article from the Washington Post mirrors some of the techniques we use at camp to foster good communication and maximize empowerment of teenagers. Below are some positively phrased bullets from the article, with the whole piece (by Kathryn Streeter) available at this link.
- Speak to your teens as if they are adults.
- This includes both the tone and content of conversations.
- Value conversations with them.
- Teens sniff out adults who pander to them and suffer through dutiful conversation before turning to other adults in a room.
- Focus only on the conversation at hand.
- If you’re multitasking, you’re telling them that they’re not as important as whatever else you’re doing.
- Listen when they’re speaking!
- Avoid finishing their sentences, laughing before they’re finished, or reacting in any way before they’re done talking.
- Avoid pressing your activities on them.
- Give them permission to pursue their own passions.
- Avoid forcing the conversation.
- Try to keep it natural; dinnertime’s a great time, or during a TV show that can spur a discussion. Open-ended questions are always good.
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