Are you having communication issues with your teen? If you are, you're not alone. Lets look at a list of reasons why your teen may not be communicating with you?
Reason #1 – They don’t want to overwhelm or worry you. Teens can be very intuitive, even when it seems like they aren’t paying attention, and know when you’re already at your limit. They don’t want to add anything else to your plate, so they keep things inside or act them out in harmful ways. Reason #2 – They don’t want you to fix it. When your child was in elementary school, maybe it was okay for you to talk to their teacher or friend’s parent. Now that they’re in high school, no way! Not only do they think you can’t fix it, but they don’t want you fighting their battles. Reason #3 – They don’t want you to get mad. Teens know what kind of behavior you won’t tolerate, and they don’t want to be the ones to tell you they did something you won’t like or agree with. So what can you do to help? Here are some ideas: LISTEN – “Sometimes we need someone to simply be there. Not to fix or do anything in particular, but just to let us feel that we are cared for and supported” unknown. PRAY – You may not know how to get through to your teen, but God does. He know how to speak their language and give you wisdom to do the same. EMPATHY – try to bridge the understanding gap, put yourselves in their shoes, and see why they may have acted a certain way. |