Teenagers show revolutionary behaviour because they aren’t mentally, emotionally and physically developed. Sometimes, to communicate with teens really becomes hectic, and I am sure, like me, you too search for various ways to make teenagers listen to you. Communication with teenagers is problematic and can cause clashes among parents and children. If parents want their child actually to listen to them, they should avoid negative communication. Misunderstandings must not be there between you two, so, that they can actively listen to you without straying too far. Listening to teens without abrupt reactions, liberates parents from unrealistic pressure.
Effective Ways To Make Teenagers Listen To You
Respect and appreciate adolescent opinion to maintain good judgment. Following suggestions may help improve your communication with your teenage son or daughter. Let’s dig into some practical ways to make teenagers listens to you.
1. Effective Communication
Adolescence is a period of growth and development in a child. Dealing with teens is difficult for many families. To communicate with your teen, you need to make yourself available. Most of the time, teens gain half knowledge about many things, but consider as they have all information beyond the universe. We all are quite aware of this proverb: a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, that’s why an active conversation can help you keep an eye on teen as a safety check by knowing their interest.
2. Be A Good Listener
Listening to teens can be more appreciated than speaking. Asking too many questions from them can annoy them. If you want to know about their interest:
- Don’t ask anything too directly.
- Try to catch on to what motivates or exaggerates them.
- Give them a chance to share their comforts and activities.
Listening to teens is vital for an effective relationship with them.
3. Control Your Emotions And Response
Teenagers are muddled, so it’s normal being aimless, fantasizing about things and prying. It’s challenging to manage your emotions after experiencing intense behaviour. Responding too strongly can lead to them to scream, and it can totally shut down the conversation. A harsh and irritated response can make teens scared, further creating pressure on them losing their trust in you. Don’t let your emotions avert, take a deep breath and use your emotions sensibly. Keep calm and react little.
4. Respect Your Children’s Privacy
The need for privacy is very natural, which teens begin to long for more when they face issues. Privacy and trust go side by side. Let teens achieve their comfort level. Desiring more independence can make parents anxious because this can make their child move further away from them. Providing privacy to your teen can make them honest and responsible—Grant freedom to teens in steps or gradually. Politely discuss the pro and cons of things which worries you for your children.
5. Appreciate Their Interests
Due to sudden changes in their body, their life changes a lot, which quite often makes them confused about what they want from life? They don’t get any clear-cut idea about where their passion lies. They must not feel that someone is letting them down or not understanding them. Give them a chance to explore their interest. Take a sincere interest in their life and interest area. Appreciation makes them enthused, motivated and lively. You can have grown-up discussions with them — this can help you know about their genuine goals and priorities. While co-operating with them you can instill progressive ideas and vision into their personality or may discover their field of expertise or their best skill set.
6. Avoid Arguments
Teenage is an age of emotional conflict. Expectations of teens are too high, and interfering with them can lead to misperceptions. If you stay calm, your teenager will come to you. Teenagers are sophisticated thinkers; urgings can make them upset. Your silence can allow them to focus on what’s going on in their own head. Your calm behaviour gives them the confidence to share their feelings with you or whatever they are going through at that moment.
7. Show Affection
Teens can experience mental issues due to lack of affection. Your love and care can combat any difficulties in their life. Your soothing words can undoubtedly help release the pressure but let your action show your teen you love them unconditionally and are with them always and forever. Either they are going through rough patches of life or the bright time of success, you are with them with all your love and support. Sometimes teens just need our moral support and adoration to achieve their aims. Love and affections are some of the proven ways to make teenagers listen to you.
8. Don’t Pry, Monitor Silently, Give Some Freedom!
You can help your teen to take certain decisions to some extent but sometimes leave them to decide on some matters. Either it is about choosing friends or inviting them to home, be a silent observer and let them decide. Sometimes teens are so indulged in the social life that they set unnecessary limits and boundaries for themselves and act accordingly. However, whatever decision they take, you must monitor and guide them with all your logics. Help teens by morally supporting them to get out of the social competition. The need is to let teens know their true potential and capabilities. Know their friend circle, invite them for a night stay or a get-together, share some moments with them. Keep on monitoring them silently, guide them in a friendly manner and know their whereabouts smartly when outside; all these efforts are certainly going to help your teen to avoid unhealthy behaviour and company.
9. Praise And Encourage
Praise is meaningful to teens, especially when it comes from those they love. This can help teens to achieve confidence. Sometimes the wisdom in teens is not on the surface; it’s us who have to figure it and bring out the best in them. Help your teens to build self-confidence in their abilities by encouraging them. Allow them to try different activities. Guide them about tech usage, although generation these days are quite a techie, so praise them for their knowledge, yet guide them about the usage of the internet, cellphones as it’s the elders who know the good and bad better than them.
Behaviour issues are common in adolescents. Build trust with your teenager. Talk to them about honesty and trust, also make sure that it reflects in your actions. This can help them to be friendly with you so that teens can share their problems and issues with you. Above tips were my take on some efficient ways to make teenagers listen to you. I am sure you have some handy and active parenting advice on the same, so do share your thoughts with me in the comment box below.
Also Read: Personality is a dynamic component of our psyche. A teenager’s personality gets shaped by a wide variety of factors. Most of the time, these factors do not act individually, but rather have a collective impact on the teenager’s mind.
good one, true it is very tough to talk with kids these days, mine always ignore whenever I need to something important to discuss. Whenever they do so, I too put their demands on hold for sometimes. Most of the time this trick works but sometimes it fails too 🙂 So, I seek other ways again. It is really a roller coaster life with teens.