Don’t Push It…It’ll Come!
By Karisma Carpenter
It’s funny how I find myself doing my first blog topic on communication, because my parents would be the first to tell you that I “suck” at communicating.
However, what some parents don’t realize is that your child, no matter how bad you want them to tell you everything going on in their life, will never tell you ” EVERYTHING.” That expectation is unrealistic. Now, if and when your child comes to you it means they no longer view you as just their parent, but they see you as a friend who just happened to give birth to them.
So, here are 3 tips that you as a parent can follow to make your teenager more likely to share information with you.
1. Be genuinely interested in what your child is talking to you about.
Kids know when parents are ignoring them or simply halfway listening. Although, they understand that you often get busy if you’re constantly not listening, not paying attention, or forgetting the conversation ever existed then they won’t talk to you about the stuff that really matters.
2. Remember that no matter what your opinion concerning what they talk to you about, they have a right to their opinion even if that means they disagree with yours.
Sometimes parents see things children don’t and contrary to what some parents believe, parents can be wrong about things. So, never try to force your child to agree with your opinion or tell them that their opinion is wrong, because like it or not, everybody is entitled to their opinion. If you try to force them to think like you, every conversation will backfire and end with attitudes and slammed doors.
3. Don’t force a conversation.
Now this one is self-explanatory! If you know something is wrong, if you ask if something is wrong and they tell you “no” or neglect to answer, do not force It. Let them come to you on their own if and when they are ready.
Take my advice these 3 tips can help improve or start communication with your teen.
Karisma Carpenter is a 2013 graduate of Stivers School of The Arts who enjoys reading and writing. She is pursuing her AAS in Vetrenairy Technology and has been involved with Modern Day Cinderella Inc. for the past four years.
