When your child becomes a teenager it can sometimes feel that you are no longer communicating with him or her. You try to engage them in conversations but they don't always respond. There are some little things you can do that might encourage your child to communicate with you.
Touch your teen gently on the shoulder when you say "good morning."
Slide a "thinking of you" note under their pillow.
Begin a "Positive Thoughts" notebook. Each evening jot down a few positive sentences into a notebook or journal. The sentences could be about something positive you saw your teen say or do, an encouraging word about an upcoming test they have at school, etc. Leave the notebook out in a general area, such as the kitchen counter or table, where your teen can find it the next morning. Encourage your teen to write a response to your comment. Even if your teen doesn't write a response don't give up. Continue writing on a daily basis. This will send your teen the message that this is important to you. Your teen will probably be reading your thoughts even if she doesn't respond.
Put your teens baby photos back out on the mantle. Reminisce out loud or smile without saying a word while thumbing through your teens baby photo album. Make sure your son can see and hear you. He just might come and sit beside you and begin reminiscing with you.
These simple ideas can result in a dialogue between you and your teen which in turn contributes to a much needed closeness between parent and child.
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