Yesterday Debra wrote about Brave and listening to your teen. We talk about this all the time and I believe that most of us think we are pretty good listeners. So how do you know if your teen feels heard? It is not so difficult. First of all they don't have that glazed over look in their eyes. Secondly, they will respond positively and usually by continuing the conversation. You will find they seek you out more often to discuss things with you. You might even find they spend a little less time in their room.
You might find that you experiment a bit with listening. If your teen attempts to talk about something, drop what you are doing. Make eye contact, really pay attention and validate what you have heard. After you have done this note the reaction you get. To be honest, if they don't expect you to listen they may miss your first few attempts. You may have to do this experiment a few times to really get through to them but don't give up. See how this works.
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