How do I talk to my teenager and get more than ‘fine’?

Five ways into a real conversation with your teen, and the one habit of yours to drop.


When to use
When every question you ask gets a shrug and a closed door.
Time
10 min

The prompt

I want better conversations with my -year-old. Right now, . Ask me up to five questions, one at a time, about when we do talk well, what they care about, and how I usually start. Then describe in a few sentences how my current approach might feel from their side. After that, give me five openers that aren’t questions about school or their day, the two settings where talk is most likely to happen, and one thing I should stop doing. No tricks, no monitoring, nothing I’d be embarrassed for them to read. Label what you’re guessing about them.

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