How to feel closer to your teen

When you are exhausted from trying to talk to your teen and it goes nowhere, you might feel hopeless and think, I’m never going to feel close to them again.

So when you want to feel more connected, show them you understand what they are going through.

Try, “Anyone would be sad that their friends aren’t asking them to hang out.” Or,

“It makes sense you feel annoyed that you don’t have any time to chill.” Or,

“Of course you are angry when everyone is telling you what to do all the time.”

Teens go through a range of emotions every day.

Some feelings boost their moods like joy, confidence, and fearlessness.

And other ones are heavy, like overwhelm, embarrassment, and loneliness.

When you help normalize their feelings so they think nothing is wrong with them and you understand them, they will come back to you.

Imagine they walk in the house after school and are grumpy.

You say, “You seem out of sorts. What’s going on?”

They say, “Everyone hates me! I have no friends.”

You say, “Well, feeling rejected is awful! What happened?”

And you get a real response.

They continue to talk and you notice the slight change in mood as you deeply listen to how they feel.

After they get it all out, instead of escaping to their room, they stick around for a few more minutes just to chat.

You feel close to them again. 

Listen. This is possible for you.

There are communication strategies you can learn today so that you can enjoy these years with your teen and set yourself up for closeness in the years to come.

♥️ Jeanine

P.S. For more parenting tips, watch one of my free classes.

Even if you have a young adult, it’s never too late to learn these strategies.

If you want to feel close again immediately, let’s talk.