Five Tips for Talking to Teens in A Tech World!
By Leslie Baker, Family Counseling in Pleasanton
Having challenges talking to teens? Here are five tips to deal with teen communication in a tech world:
1) Minimize Eye Contact
In the age of computers and social media it is clear that teens communicate better if you do not attempt to make too much eye contact with them! One successful strategy has been only to hold conversations in person with no eye contact. This can be successfully completed conversing in the car, watching TV or while cooking dinner.
2) Texting Really Works
Discover what teens have been trying to tell us long ago. Texting requires no eye contact and for the most part, teens do read texts! I find teens are relatively responsive as long as texts are short and to the point. Guard against TMI (too much information) and keep requests to 1 or a maximum of 2.
3) Post it on Instagram
If reading a text is not working a picture is worth a thousand words. A photo of dirty dishes left by your teen or a pile of dirty laundry can be an effective tool to engage chore completion with no words or eye contact needed.
4) SnapChat your LOVE
Teens are often hard to hug and express your love and parental affection to, although they still appreciate it and need it! Try sending a SnapChat of a Hersey’s Kiss or a Heart on a Post It Note! Not as warm as a hug but it has the added benefit of disappearing in 10 seconds (if they do not take a screen shot) so your teen will not be embarrassed and no one will ever know how much they are loved!
5) Tweet Your Teen
If all non-eye contact options have not been effective, feel free to Tweet your teen! I have two options here. The first is to cut out a paper blue bird shape, writing your message on it and hang it on their bedroom wall! I received mix reviews from my teens. “Mom, I do not think you really get this Tweeting thing!!!” Then I finally got a twitter account and sent a real Tweet #noeyecontact and #momluvsu!
Contact Leslie Baker Marriage and Family Therapist in Pleasanton to discuss teen challenges and other family counseling issues.
