How to Communicate Effectively With a Teen

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Teenagers can be very difficult to deal with. One day you have the same old kid you've figured out ten years ago. The next, it seems like there's a stranger in the same bedroom.

Steps

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Get to know your teen better. This may seem like an obvious one, but it is so often bypassed on the pretense of already knowing my son/daughter. Often, teenagers' personalities have changed so dramatically they need another year or so of figuring out.

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   Give them space. The one thing a young teenager wants is for his parents to let go and live his or her own life. This will take some getting used to, and it's hard to know how much freedom is too much. But taking it easy at first and then working it out together is usually the best way to go.
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   Find out their interests - be it sport, music, or just watching TV - and try spending some quality time with them. Be warned - most teenagers won't like their moms tagging along at a football game, and definitely not around friends. Keep this quality time between yourselves.
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   Talk less, show more. When parents give lectures the least Teenagers can do is tune out. Sometimes showing the teen - for example, showing pictures of what cigarettes can do - will impress them more than a few words.
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   Don't try and keep up with your teen. This will just cause them to want to change even more. Let your teen go their own way and let your way fit in with theirs. For example, if your teen decides to start using msn, you stick with the plain old telephone. Many teens may want you to take an interest in there life to some degree, but keep on the look out- that you don't overdo it.
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   Think of it like this, if someone you have known for a few years at work or a friend in a social setting asks you 'How has your day been?' this is normal and you accept this in most cases, you wouldn't want them suddenly becoming overly interested in your life. 

6. Tips

7. Giving your teen what he or she wants subtly is a good way to communicate with them. For example, "If you clean your room, you can go to the game." This way the teen feels he is getting free time for something he has earned.
8. No parent is perfect, just as no teen is perfect. You will make many mistakes, but working through them will help you get to know your teen better than before.

9. Warnings

10. Every teen is different. Therefore no teen acts the same way. Follow these rules as guides only.
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