It's really vital when our kids become teens to practice some healthy dialogue with them,

to keep the relationship going, but it can be hard. I'm Jean Fuller with Dr. Danny Werta, he heads up the focus

on the family parenting department. Danny, what's one way that we can keep the conversation

going in a healthy way with our kids, especially when they become teens.

Yeah, I mean it's really reaching out and initiating the conversations.

Just know with boys, there's a lot more quiet moments, and it doesn't mean they don't have any

thoughts or they don't have anything to contribute or or talk about it's

going to require your intentionality to carve out those moments of conversation

and conversation about even what rules you've got in the house.

What are the negotiable ones?

What are the non-negotiable ones?

Have open dialogue on that? And on the negotiable ones, let your

teens know how can they negotiate with you in respectful ways and practice that.

Hey, what are some rules that you feel you've outgrown or that you feel don't pertain to you and your

personality and you've created trust tell us that and begin the dialogue on

the rules and I'd love to hear your voice into this and let's talk through

and shape that together on how you negotiate this and then when they do things

certain things maybe they make a poor decision, say,

hey, how do you think that went?

We're going to go sideways for you.

And asking questions, almost like an adult, you're saying, saying hey it didn't go well where did it not go

well and as you consistently go to conversation with your kids, you'll begin to learn where they have more conversation.

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