Maddie and her 13-year-old son, Justin, heard Jim Daly while in the car together. They heard me say that junior high kids want their parents to listen to them. Right there in the parking lot, Justin said, “He’s right, Mom. I’d love it if you’d just listen to me sometimes.”
Good listening is a skill. Teenagers don’t open up very often, so when they do, take advantage. When my son, Trent, was younger, he got chatty at night. Usually right about the time I was struggling to keep my eyes open, Trent would start sharing about his friends or something that happened at school that day. But no matter how tired I was, I’d perk up when he started talking and engage with him.
But what if your teenager doesn’t want to talk?
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