Parenting: Fighting Fair with Your Teenager
In a perfect world, we’d never argue with our children. But teenagers are part of reality, so how do you fight fair?
FOX’s Lisa Brady reports on some advice for families and perhaps presidential candidates as well:
No parent calls the teenage years easy, but there are ways to make peace:
(Dr. Garcia) “I think that a lot of times our teenagers just want to be heard.”
Pediatric psychologist Dr. Brittany Barber Garcia says you can head a fight off at the pass by keeping cool, and listening:
(Dr. Garcia) “As a parent you know we always want to rush in and jump to settle the argument, or figure out what’s going on, problem solve and get to the end of it. But I find parents are much more successful if they stop and listen to what their kids concerns are first.”
Also, ignore the buttons your kids know just how to push, and don’t get personal:
(Dr. Garcia) “Parents can very quickly go from ‘I just want you to clean your room more, I just want you to put your socks away’ to ‘you’re so lazy and why don’t you ever do this?”
And when that happens, that’s all they hear. So Barber Garcia says it’s okay to apologize for hurt feelings, show a willingness to compromise, or even table the issue as long as you do go back and resolve it. Make sure your kids know you’re there for them, no matter what.
All of this teaching them how to respectfully disagree when they’re adults.
With FOX on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.
