BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Q: My teen does not do what I ask them to do and is always yelling. How can I get them to communicate with me?

A: It can be very stressful and overwhelming to be in frequent conflict with your teen. Teens are in a developmental stage of wanting to establish autonomy from their parents, so it is natural for there to be disagreements between parents and teens. If you want your teen to communicate calmy, it is important to make sure that you are modeling calm communication for them. It is not reasonable to expect your teen to react calmly if you are raising your voice. Additionally, it is important to spend quality time with your teen doing activities that they choose in order to maintain a bond with your teen, so that they are more likely to be receptive to talking to you. It is also important to be positive and loving towards your teen the majority of the time, rather than being overly critical. Make sure that you listen intently, and act interested when your teen tells you things. Acknowledge and accept your teens emotions and ask them to describe their point of view rather than assuming that you know what it is. It is essential to problem-solve and compromise with your teen, rather than imposing rules on them. Teens are more likely to follow through when they are part of the decision-making process.

If you are still having difficulty communicating with your teen after applying these tips, it can be beneficial to speak to a therapist who can help you identify barriers to communication that you may not be able to identify on your own. A therapist can teach you and your teen new interpersonal skills and can help you come up with a formal plan to improve communication.

Sydney Clark, M.A. Premier Behavioral

Health Services 8701 Mentor Avenue Mentor, Ohio 44060

440.266.0770 www.pbhsohio.com