Parenting Teens - September 6, 2012

Day 21 - Effective Communications Strategies Part III

Parenting Teenagers

We look at the role of reflecting back, responding appropriately and taking a long-term view in healthy communications.

7. Reflect back what they have said • say back to them what you think they are trying to express, particularly their feelings use some of their own words and phrases

8. Respond appropriately • give guidance and reassurance • they are likely to remember our words for years to come

9. Take a long-term view • sometimes any meaningful communicationwith teenagers can be a big struggle • difficulties are usually the result of a phase they're going through • try to create the conditions for conversation to become easier, at mealtimes; spending time with them doing what they enjoy; using their love language • if worried, seek professional help and/or medical support

Question:
Role play with another adult. Have them share a typical teenage problem with you, and reflect back what they’ve said. Go back and forth for a few minutes, then switch. What was easy or hard about this?

From Series: Parenting Teenagers | More Messages from Parenting Teens | Download Audio

From Series: "Parenting Teenagers"

Study Guide

More Messages Associated With "Family"...

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  • for children, love is spelled T.I.M.E.
  • children need quantity time as well as quality time
  • significance of first eighteen months of a child’s life
  • who will be our child’s main caregiver?
  • can be hard to work out balance of parenting and employment
    • working at home/from home
    • full-time/part-time
  • the time we spend with our children is more powerful in communicating our love than anything we say
  • we need to prioritize our time
    • learning when to said “yes” to our children and “no” to other people and things
    • the only place we are indispensable is at home
  • we need to plan our time
    • time with the people who are most precious to us doesn’t just happen
    • if married, plan marriage time” each week
    • as a parent, plan “family time” each week
    • plan some one-to-one time with each child (we will look at this in detail in Session 2 Part 2)
  • we need to protect our time from
    • the TV
    • the telephone
    • other people
    • our work

What demands on your time stop you from spending time with your children?

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