There is a fine line between being a friend and father, especially teens and tweens. When children enter the stage of life in which they are very sensitive to peer pressure, the lack of connection between parents and children seems to increase.
Teens are subject to constant change and during this time their communication gap increases. What are the keys to a good relationship with their children when it is important to them?
Have you noticed how a child speaks with his friends? One of the things that his friends do, for better or worse, is to listen without condemning him. Sometimes parents fail to be good listeners when it comes to their children and this translates out as unrequired strictness and random episodes of anger.
This is the fastest way to lose the confidence of any teen who then takes caution in sharing his or her problems with parents. According to the Wall Street Journal, be a good listener when you are saying things that do not seem to be a big deal and they will start to trust you with things that really are.
Adolescents have difficulty realizing parents were once young. They think that parents have taken a pill to become an adult. Parents should tell their children stories of the past when they were once young. This makes a teenager relate to a father or mother because being human and imperfect is what everyone has in common.
Parents would be surprised that listening to a couple of songs with kids could open doors for conversations. There is a good chance that a teen might think parents judge his friends without even knowing them. Try asking why they are good friends and affirm the good qualities they may have. This should open the door to conversations about their not-so-good qualities.
According to Psychology Today, teenagers are surprised when parents admit they may be wrong. This makes them think of their own faults and allows them to share a bond of trust with them.
Your teen will turn 18 soon and will soon start to make their own decisions. Building trust now is essential! Try these tips today and there is a great possibility that trust, the basis of all meaningful relationships, will trigger happy and engaging future conversations with your teen.
