As mothers, communicating with your teenage son can often leave you feeling perplexed and puzzled.
Our teenage sons need time to talk out their problems and process everything, which is why they like to have some alone time after school and relax with a snack. It’s important for them to get a break from distraction.
It also explains why right as we’re preparing to turn in for the night, our boys come to us ready to talk about their day all bright and chipper-like.
Today’s affirmation is a reminder:
I create an environment that is open for communication,
and practice active listening with my son.
Communication is the process of exchanging information through a shared system. Communication is about more than just talking to your son, it is about understanding him. Communication is important in every aspect of life, from talking to your son, to talking with your boss and even how you talk with yourself.
Communication plays an important role in our lives. It can be used as a tool for entertainment or for information sharing. Communication can also be used as a way to get attention or express ideas and emotions.
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1. Be Aware of the Language You Use
As a parent, one of the most important things you can do is to be aware of the language you use. The words we choose have a big impact on how our children will grow up and communicate with others.
It’s essential for us to be observant of what we say when we speak with our sons. Avoid using words like “You’re so lazy” or “You never listen” because these words can lead to negative feelings and disagreements.
2. Keep the Conversation Light and Fun
If you’re trying to have a deep and insightful conversation with your son, it doesn’t always have to be about their grades or their future. Sometimes the best thing you can do is play a board game and spend time together.
A good way to keep a conversation light and fun is to talk about topics that are important and relevant to your son. For example, if you are speaking with someone who likes sports, then asking them about their favorite team or what they think of the latest game are great conversation starters.
3. Share Your Thoughts and Feelings
Parents are always looking for ways to communicate with their children. However, it can be difficult to find the right words to say. Here are some tips on how we can can share our thoughts and feelings with our teen sons.
– Speak from your heart, not your head: When you’re communicating with your teen son, it’s important that you speak from the heart rather than just thinking of what you should say next.
– Use age appropriate language: It’s important to use language that is age appropriate when communicating with your teen son. You don’t want to confuse them or make them feel like they’re being talked down to.
– Help them see things from your perspective: It can be difficult for a teenager to understand why a parent would be upset about something they did or said. Try talking to them after the situation has died down. Explain that your job is to make sure they grow up to be responsible and respectful adults- not perfect. And you should feel okay with them making mistakes.
– Ask for help: If you find yourself constantly losing your temper, or struggling to parent effectively, it might be time to seek professional help from a psychologist or therapist.
4. Be Honest and Open about Your Expectations for Him
Mommas, we need to be honest and open about our expectations for our sons. This will help us to have a better relationship with them and help them feel more comfortable coming to you.
It is important that we set rules for our children. These rules should be discussed openly with them, so they know what they are expected to do and what they are not allowed to do.
5. Listen More than You Speak
Communication is one of the most important skills that we can learn. It is not enough to just speak, we need to listen too.
Listening is not just about hearing what people say, it’s also about understanding what they are feeling. Teenagers often don’t want to talk about their feelings because they don’t want their parents to know that they are struggling. But if you really listen, you will know when something is wrong and you can help them better.
There are many ways that we can develop our communication skills, but the most important thing is to start with listening more than speaking.
30 Days of Affirmations for Moms Raising Teen Sons
Affirmations for Moms Raising Teenage Sons
The importance of affirmations for moms raising tween and teenage sons
Day 1: It’s okay to take care of you first!
It’s okay to take care of me first, so I can show up as the mother my son needs.
Day 2: I do not expect to be a perfect mother
I do not expect to be a perfect mother for my son.
Day 3: Support Systems for Our Sons
I have people in my life who are ready and able to help with my son when needed.
Day 5: Simple Tips to Be a Better Mom
Every day, in all aspects, I’m improving to be the best mother my children need me to be.
Amanda says
Some great tips for sharing with your teenager, they also carry over as they grow up as well – mine is 26 years ! My favorite one was listen more than you speak, you can pick up so much from what they ‘say’ and what they ‘really mean’ – the tone in their voice etc. And listening more gives you more time to reflect on what they say. Thanks for sharing
Tamara says
I’d be interesting to have a (teenage) daughter to appreciate the difference in communication styles.
When my son was in elementary school I *never* heard what his day at school was. Good thing I’m friends with a girl’s Mom, so I would eventually get the summary of the *many things* that apparently happened throughout the day 😉
So now he’s turning 14. He’ll talk to me about administrative things from school, basically when he needs my signature. He’ll discuss plans about going out with his friends, plus he may tell me how he won in (insert video game). So I guess we’re right on track?
Diana Walker says
What terrific tips for communicating with your teenage son. My sons are older now, and I’m sure I could have used these tips when they were teenagers!… but I feel I must have done something right, since even as young men now, we have extremely good communication, and I feel very fortunate. Since I was a single parent, it was pretty difficult at times, but it all paid off. Great advice! Diana
Kate Loving says
Respectful communication is key with all people. The guidelines you share can be applied universally, and if they were, we’d have less violence- and war.