Teenagers are notoriously moody and considering the events of the past 15 months, can you really blame ‘em? But it’s especially in light of recent events (virtual learning, canceled proms, limited interaction with friends, the list goes on and on) that parents should check in with adolescents about how they’re feeling. There’s just one problem—every time you ask your kid how their day was, they clam up. That’s why we reached out to the experts to get their advice.
But before we get into what to say (and not say) to your teen, get the setting right. Because if you want your kid to share something (anything!) about their day, you’re going to need to take the pressure off.
“After having worked with teenagers for many, many years, I can say that the single best way for parents to get their teens to open up to them isn’t through saying anything specific, but rather through engaging in activities with them,” therapist Amanda Stemen tells us. “This allows conversation to flow naturally.”