5 Tips for Listening and Talking to your Teenager/Child (or anyone!)

By: Kim Jones 03/30/2012

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!