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Expect Communication to Change During Adolescence

By contributor,
teen-parent-communication.jpg

As the parent of a young child, you may have wished for quiet. As the parent of a teen, you will probably get what you wished for.
It’s typical for children to start zipping their lips when they become teens.

Some reasons:
~They worry that parents may be shocked by what they have to say. It’s easier to be quiet than to risk upsetting you.
~They are naturally separating from you. Keeping some private thoughts is an important part of the journey toward becoming an adult.

If you’d like your teen to open up a little more:
~Start by sharing. While sharing an after-school snack, say, “Guess what happened to me today?” Your teen may respond by sharing something that happened to him.
~Tone down your reactions.“Can you tell me how you came to that conclusion?” is a better response than “You’re wrong,” or “That’s ridiculous.” If something really takes you by surprise, tell your teen that you need a little while to think about it.

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Hopkinton Middle School