Invite Teens to Talk and Open Up

Ellen Says: I would recommend such insights from an article written by Kelly Pfeiffer which is entitled: "Being a Good Listener While Parenting Teenagers", to be a great and very insightful article that will clear up the minds of everyone, teenagers and parents as well. Kelly says, "How many parents can say they are good listeners, especially when parenting teenagers? Parents complain that teens won’t talk, won’t open up and that teenagers seem to enjoy keeping secrets from parents. It is part of typical teen behavior for teens to pull away and want to have a separate life from parents. But another factor could also be at play when it comes to parenting teenagers. Are parents good listeners?", kelly is indeed an authority when it comes to such issue on teenagers.

Furthermore, Kelly says, "It’s easier to talk than to listen, Agree? We are constantly telling that our kids won’t talk to us. In almost every case, the problem is not that the kids don’t want to talk. The problem is that the we as parents don’t want to listen."

Also, Kelly says "Parenting teenagers means making sure teens are prepared for the adult world. Out of love, many parents want to prevent teens from making mistakes, make sure that teens are caught up on homework projects and warn teens about the dangers they may encounter. In short, well-meaning parents give lots of advice to teens through lectures and nagging but have a tough time being good listeners. Why would teens talk and open up if they know they are going to get a negative response from parents?"... such an eye opener right?

Finally, Kelly says, "Listening without interrupting or giving advice is especially difficult for many parents. But try it and believe me, it really work for us."

For more info about the article, please visit Kelly and be enlightened from this site:
http://parentingteens.suite101.com/article.cfm/parenting_teenagers_being_a_good_listener