You planned and prepared for having a baby, the newborn years and toddlerhood—wouldn’t you give just 4.5 hours to equip yourself for the ups and downs of the teen years?  During this challenging time when you are feeling pushed away, your teen still loves you and wants to come to you for support. And the Teen Speak audiobook has your back.

Here’s a sneak peak at a few proven strategies from the book that will help you create a relationship with your teen that encourages them to talk with you:

• Listen. Limit your advice and stories like “when I was young…” Instead, reflect what you hear them saying. This approach encourages them to share more and helps them think critically about their words and actions. “You’re worried about Jamie and have tried everything to help her feel better.”
• Show interest. Remember their friend’s names, class projects, and events that are important to them. Learn more about their passions so that you can genuinely engage in conversation. “The student art show was today, right? Tell me how it went.”
• Empathize. Be on their team, even when they make mistakes. Talk through tough situations and the resulting consequences and use that as an opportunity to plan for future situations. “It’s hard to be at a game and not play because of your grades. What do you think would help you with math?”
• Don’t judge. Always acting as the authority, telling them “I told you so,” and overusing sarcasm can harm your teen and destroy their trust in you. Use affirmations to show them you notice what they are doing right. “You are so responsible. You were home on time to get your little sister from school, helped her with homework and got all of your chores done.”

Congratulate yourself for not giving up! Parenting a teen is hard work. Implementing these small strategies can help you enjoy this time with your teen…not just wait for it to end. Learn more by downloading the Teen Speak audiobook today!