Do you feel like you are frequently embattled with your teenager over academics, responsibilities, and the like? If you’re like most parents, you find yourself getting upset and coming up with consequences after rules after punishments, with seemingly little impact on their behavior and creating a whole lot of tension between you. My second parenting tip addresses this cyclical problem by shifting your approach to conflict. Here’s the gist:
GET CURIOUS:
1. check your agenda at the door (at least temporarily)
2. ask what your student thinks first about the situation
3. collaborate on a solution
Following these tips will help reduce tension in your relationship AND has the added benefit of developing more self-awareness, problem-solving and responsibility in your student. Win-win!