Blog Post
5 Tips for Listening and Talking to your Teenager/Child (or anyone!)
3/30/2012
1. Be Present
-Be in the moment and not distracted when talking to him/her. Put down the cell phone, don’t text or answer the phone.
2. Acknowledge and appreciate their emotional reality!
-Try to find out where their reality is before you do anything else.
3. Ask good questions
-Help your child understand their situation better – Most people ask questions to help them understand the situation better. A skilled question helps your child understand their situation better so they can figure out how they really feel and think about their situation.
4. Offer perspective
-It is always helpful to know that there are options and choices to choose from in any given situation. Help your child feel not alone.
5. If solution is need, give it in positive way
-Tell a story about someone you know or a time you faced a similar situation. Help instill confidence in your child that they too can handle the situation!
Adapted from Brian Burchard’s 5 tips to giving great advice!