When the Hugs Stop and the Silence Starts- Finding Your Way Back to Your Teen
When our once-chatty, cuddly kiddos turn into teenagers, parents are often caught off guard by the changes that come with adolescence. Suddenly, there’s a new scent in the air (thanks, puberty!), moods can swing dramatically, and perhaps one of the hardest shifts of all is the emotional distance that may form.
Finding Connection with Your Teens
When our cute little kids turn into teenagers a lot of changes take place developmentally. There is a strange new odor in the air, moods may swing (sometimes amazingly quick!) and one of the harder relational aspects of change is it is common for teens to stop seeking or accepting physical affection and they often stop talking to their parents. While they communicate plenty with their friends, unfortunately, they may not do the same to their parents. This can be a painful and sometimes abrupt change for a parent to make sense of and it is normal to experience hurt feelings. Who knew our kids could hurt our feelings so much?!
Communicating With Your Teenager
Darrell Benson, LCSW write a blog about communicating with teenagers