The holiday season is a time when family and friends get together. It can be a period of harmony, but it can also be very stressful. Kids are off from school and home from college and often want to do their own thing with their friends. When kids come home from college, they frequently butt heads with their parents, who want to know who they’re with, where they are going, and when they are coming back.
The holidays are the perfect time to practice the techniques outlined in my book.
(If you need another copy, you can purchase it here).
1. Listen without interrupting.
2. Be interested.
3. Let your kids talk without trying to fix the situation.
4. Ask them if they want your opinion or help with the challenges they face.
5. Focus on the conversation at hand without thinking about the past or your future to-do list.
It’s challenging to shift how we relate to our children as they age. We have to talk to our kids instead of talking at them. Communication is a two-way street, so during this holiday season, make yourself available.
We often get caught up in doing a lot of things. We’re shopping, cooking, wrapping gifts, going to holiday parties, and decorating, and we forget to “be” with our children. That’s really all they want. They may never admit that, but it’s true. Kids, including our young adult kids, want you to be with them.
That means enjoying their presence without trying to fix or change them. It means to accept them for who they are at that very moment.
When you are talking to them and being with them without any conditions and without trying to get them to do something, a new space of vulnerability, openness, love, and trust arises. This space starts very small, like a barely open door. But the more you practice, the bigger that space becomes and the wider that door opens.
I have created a course for the book to help you create this space and strengthen your connection to your teens and young adults. It will especially be useful as you start the new year. It’s called The 21 Day Boost Your Connection With Your Teen Email Challenge Course.
You will receive a daily email from me for 21 days that will guide you step by step in taking actions that shift your relationship and bring you closer to your teens and young adults.
Click Here to Register For the Course.
My goal is to support our youth to be their best selves.