How to communicate with adolescents
COMMUNICATING WITH ADOLESCENTS
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
- Affirm your child’s feelings
- Don’t use the slang your child uses
- Share your own experiences
- Don’t just do, listen
- Give your child ownership of what she does
- Remember to accept silence
- Don’t make fun of them
- Have an ally
QUESTIONING
- Use open ended questions – allows you the ability to gain information
- Use the response given as a lead for further questions
- Information seeking questions – used to find out general information
- Circular questions – less threatening, easier to answer
- Choice questions – enables your daughter to feel that her opinion is being considered
ACTIVE LISTENING
- Listen to your child – avoid interpretation
- Reflect the content and feeling – shows that you have heard your child
- Summarise – shows that you have heard and understood what has been said
- Memory – be able to recall what has been said
- Be patient – allow time for your child to reflect on what has been discussed