Hi, I'm Jim Daly. In summertime, giving to focus on the family slows down, but families in crisis

still need your support. As we face a bit of a shortfall right now, we need your help to save marriages

through hope, offer dignity, comfort, and hope to children in foster care through wait no more,

and provide biblical resources for families. Your gift by August 31st will make a

real difference and offer lasting hope. Visit focus on the family.com slash support families.

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advice at Focusonthefamily.com slash parenting podcast.

How many times have you had conversations with your kids, particularly your teenager, and you get into the lecture mode?

You just go at it and it's like this feels really good. So you're going to sit here and listen.

I know you don't want to listen anymore. The truth is there's a better way to communicate.

I'm John Fuller, along with Danny Werta, who heads up our parenting and youth department here

at Focus on the Family. And Danny, talking with teens can sometimes feel really difficult.

I mean, what's going to work? What's going to get through? It can be very difficult. And teens may interpret moments differently than

us. And we've talked about this before. Interpretations are key. And teens bring a lot of

emotion to the mix and sometimes hormones and other things going

on that we may not know about.

And the conversations many times do lead to that lecture place.

I do have to confess.

I've been there where I start to notice myself, I'm going into a complete lecture here.

Where am I going with this?

And is he even listening or she even

listening to what I'm saying? And then you tag team, mom and dad, both each have their own

...