Sometimes communication with adolescents can be truncated because they become less accessible during this period, they go through processes and changes in their personality that make communication with parents difficult, so you have to be patient and give them tools to gain confidence, open up to their adults and express their emotions.

What are the keys to improving communication with a teenager?

In this process of adolescence, children tend to try to achieve a certain independence and search for identity, which may hinder the trust and communication that existed when they were younger. Even so, all is not lost, it is simply necessary to find that key that causes him to express his feelings with his parents and let them help him. Here are some tips that can help to improve communication.

Generate confidence in him

For a teenager to communicate, the most important thing is that he/she feels trust towards the person with whom he/she is going to express him/herself. Try to let them know that the conversation will remain between you, that you will not use what they tell you to throw it in their face tomorrow, that they can count on you for whatever they need and, above all, that you will take them seriously. No matter how young and inexperienced they are, their feelings and concerns are just as valid as those of adults.

Avoid forcing

Don't try to force the conversation, let them come to you and start talking to you or explaining their situations. Also, try to make sure that the place and the moment are the right ones to talk, a place where there is tranquility and they feel that it is a safe place. 

If we see that, even so, he does not feel ready to open up or approach the situation at that moment, we should not insist, as this will generate a negative reaction in him. The tempos are set by your child, you just have to be prepared for when he initiates a conversation with you.

Listen at all times without interruptions

Once the conversation has started, we must listen to what they have to tell us while we look them in the eyes, so that they feel that we are really giving them the attention they need. 

Something very important that should not be done is to interrupt their story, even if we do not agree with what they are telling us, because it is a way to induce them to raise that barrier with the parents and perhaps the trust that has been generated can vanish in an instant.

Giving feedback

Finally, we must get involved in the conversation by contributing assertive opinions, personal experiences or questions to understand what they are explaining or in case they would like to contribute something else. This is a way to stimulate the conversation and invite them to continue communicating with us and also make them feel heard and validated as a person. The best way to show them the feedback we are talking about is to do it through maturity, patience and understanding.

If you need more information, help or advice on how to communicate with your teenager, you can count on the professionals of the psycho-pedagogical department at Logos International School.