Fathr Family · article · 7 min read

How to Talk So Your Teen Actually Talks Back

Why side-by-side beats face-to-face, and other things that make teenagers open up.

Change the geometry

Cars, walks, washing up, training. Conversations that do not require eye contact are considerably easier for teenagers to start.

The first thing they say is usually a test of how you will respond. Stay level and the second sentence is more honest.

'Do you want thoughts, or do you just want me to listen?' is the single most useful question in this decade.

The aim is being the person they come to first — which is decided long before the difficult thing happens.

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