conversation can determine what happens next.
Imagine a parent opening the bedroom door and immediately saying:
“What are you hiding from me?”
The teenager may immediately become defensive.
The conversation becomes an interrogation.
Instead, a parent might say:
“I’ve noticed you’ve seemed quieter lately. I’m not angry. I’m just wondering how you’re doing.”
That sounds very different.
The second approach communicates concern rather than accusation.
Ask Open Questions
Open questions give teenagers room to explain.
Instead of:
“Are you having problems at school?”
try:
“How have things been going at
