Save the Lecture (Say This Instead)

If you’ve ever seen your teen’s eyes glaze over while you’re saying something super important, take a step back and ask yourself: Is this a conversation or a lecture? Conversations flow calmly in two directions. They’re an exchange of ideas. Lectures flow—sometimes angrily—in one direction. When you speak at a teen (instead of with them), you take away an important step of growing up: Learning how to arrive at their own conclusions and generate their own solutions. They will gain confidence in their ability to handle challenges if you always keep to conversations.

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