Get your Point Across to Your Teenager: Have you ever been in a situation with your teenager that you tried to tell him/her a thing that you want them to do? Like you want them to take part in the household chore or maybe you want them to be at home earlier than they supposed to be. Suddenly, they will be upset and throw a mood swing at you.
That is why, it is really challenging as a parent to get your point across your teenager.
Sometimes, talking to your daughter or son can be problematic because they cannot understand your point or do not want to understand your point. They behave or act as if they do not know what you are talking about even though your message is clear and very important.
This failure to get your point across to your teenager can lead to misunderstanding and in a worst case can lead to some argument. So, it is important for you to know the ways on how can put your points get across to your teenager.
What are the things that you can do to avoid such situation? How can you make sure that you get your point across to your teenager? How can you be sure that they understand your point or message?
Topics
- What are the Effects of misunderstanding between parents and teenager?
- 7 simple ways to get your point across to your teenager?
- Conclusion
Failure to get your point across to your teenager can lead to misunderstanding. It can make your son or daughter upset and confuse if, you failed to deliver your message correctly.
So, what can you do to avoid misunderstanding with your loved ones? To answer that, let us first know the bad effects of misunderstanding.
What are the Effects of misunderstanding between parents and teenager?
When you fail to get your point across to your teenager misunderstanding happens. This misunderstanding is always associated as the origin of any conflict.
Usually it starts with the phrase like “I thought you mean …” That is why it is important to figure out and resolve any misunderstanding before it gets bigger.
- Misunderstanding can cause a lot of bigger problems. It can result to poor relationship if not manage correctly.
- Misunderstanding can also be a cause of a broken relationship.
- It leads to confusion and commotion.
- It can also lead to anxiety and frustration from both sides.
One thing that you must try to avoid, when you want to get your point across to your teenager is any sorts of misunderstanding.
7 Simple yet effective ways to get your point across to your teenager
Here some of the BEST ways to help you get your point across to your teenager. Be sure to read it carefully and take note of important details.
- Have a Clear point in your Mind?
Before talking to your teenager, make sure that you have a good and clear points in your mind. Make sure that everything is clear, and you can understand your point. Because how can you make it clear to them if it is unclear to you? It will just lead to chaos.
Make sure that you’re aware of the situation. It is important to focus on at least one or two points if you are aiming to get your point across to your teenager.
The fewer points you have the easier it can be to explain it. The more you understand your point is the better the more effective your communication will be.
Think of a reason why you want them to know your points. Is your points or idea can be helpful to them if yes, at which aspects or their life? You can ask yourself the following question to have a clear point in mind:
- What exactly to do you want to say?
- Why do you want to say it? Or the reason you want to say it?
- What can your teenager gain if you told them about it?
By asking yourself the following question, you can get a better understanding of the message you want to convey. It will also help you to rehearse once before you open to your teenager.
Such preparation is very important when you want to open sensitive topics such as sex education or peer pressure. With a little bit of extra preparation, you will be more comfortable dealing with these topics. And the chances of getting your point across to your teenager improves.
If you like to know more about conversation status and how to go about opening and handling sex education topic with your teenager, you can read article sex education.
- Say it Out Loud!
Once you have a clear and logical understanding of your idea, it is time for you to say it out loud.
Communicate with your teenager if you want to get your point across them because if, you do not communicate with them verbally they will not get full understanding of your points.
Set time or schedule if you want to talk with your teenager about something important.
Ask them “Do you have a minute? Can I talk to you for a minute” or “Can I talk to you because I have something very important to tell?”.
In this way, you set the mind of your teenager to expect something important from you. It will help you to get your point to them.
If you want to get your point across them, speak slowly, clearly, and naturally.
They will be most likely to listen and understand your points if you tell it in a manner that is natural to them.
Avoid raising the tone of your voice because people tend to be defensive whenever they felt threatened.
If, your son or daughter feels that they are being threatened then, they will most likely ignore the idea that you are saying.
So, try to speak in a calm and peaceful way so your message can get across them.
This also helps when you are worried about any specific behaviour of your teenager. And you would like to openly ask them about it. It can be anything from checking about the environment to confronting about doubts such as addiction Depressions or anxiety.
Hey if you like to know more about these teen related issues. You can browse through the are list of articles teen issues.
- Listen to Them
Communication is a two-way process; you can only have a successful communication if you have gotten respond from the listener. So, make sure that give you son or daughter opportunity to respond on your points.
Do not talk continuously have time to pause and let them speak if they want to speak. Or you can ask them like “what do you think about it?” for sure; they have something important to say about your point.
There feedback is important for you to understand what they are thinking and to plan of better way to help get your point across them.
Also, when you listen to your teenager. And you hear their point of view. And you respond positively to this you will also build an emotional connection with them.
When a strong emotional connection is built it gets much easier for you to put your point across to them. And they will be more receptive to listen to what you have to say.
To know other ways of building emotion connection with your teenager read article emotion connection.
- Be well prepared – Have Reasons Ready
If ever, your teenager is trying to argue or contradict your point. Make sure that you are ready with enough to reason out to them.
Do not argue always remember that you want your point to get across them so, reason out.
Arguments will not help you to get your point across instead it will only give your teenager to reject your ideas.
And it will also frustrate and agitate your teenager. This can lead to episodes of anger and back talking.
If you like to know more about how to deal sweet teen anger issues do reader article anger issues.
- Present your Point in Various Ways
There are several ways to present your point to your teenager. Using various ways can help you to deliver your points across them. So, make sure to use different strategies and techniques if you want to get your point across them.
One way to present your point is through writing. Instead of saying it in verbal words write it in paper and let your teen read it. Writing it on paper can help you organize your idea more clearly because you have time to think what to write in a piece of paper. It will help you to gather enough explanation to support your points.
Writing your points is useful especially if you want your teen to understand technical points or idea that might be complex for them.
Another way to help get your point across them is to present it visually or find a visual representation of what you are saying.
For example, your teenager is taking cigarette and you want him/her to understand that it is bad for their health.
Instead of just merely saying it, have some pictures like bad effects of cigarette or a graph that shows the percentage of death due to cigarette.
For sure, this will help you to get your point across them as we go with the saying that picture is worth a thousand words.
Same goes to other teenage related issues such as alcohol and drugs. To know a bit more about drugs you must read our article Drugs.
Ask them to Summarize and Repeat to you
One of the very effective ways to get your point across to your teenager is to ask your teenager to summarise what you have just spoken to them. And ask them to repeat it back to you.
In that way you will not only be sure if the point has been reached to your teenager. You will also know if they have got the full essence of what you had to say and in the right way.
It also gives you opening or chance to talk further on this topic. Or even clarify if they have more doubts related to the point that you were trying to put it put across to them.
Pause and restart
If you feel for some reason that either you or your teenager is not in the right frame of mind. Or during your conversation you find that your teenager is not receiving the message clearly or properly. Even if you were talking in a very calm and comforting manner. It is best to give it a pause
You can conclude by stating that you would still want to talk about this topic. But you will do it some other time.
There is no point in rushing the topic that you wanted to talk when your team is not receptive about it.
Or your teen is going through one of the mood swings which is very typical of a teenager.
Also, if you like to know about teenage mood swings and how to deal with them effectively do read article teenage mood swings.
Conclusion
A little misunderstand can be a chaotic if not manage correctly. So, if you want to get your point across your teenager you must avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
If your point does not get across to them the way you planned it, teen can make a big deal about it.
These are small steps that you can take to help you deliver your intended messages. It can be a game changer if you have a clear point in mind.
If you can truly understand your points, then it will be a lot easier to rely it to your teenager. Say it in a manner that your teenager can understand.
Talk to them naturally. Don’t raise the tone of your voice instead speak calmly and slowly. The more natural you talk the more likely teenager will listen to you.
Give your teenager a chance to speak and respond to your points. Let them reason out the way they understood it. Make them summarize and repeat it to you. In that way, your points are being delivered to them and you can clarify any kind of misunderstanding.
It is important for you to have some reason or logical explanation about your points. So, in case your teenager asked, you can tell them some plausible explanation.
And if things go haywire and not as per plan. Pause the topic and restart it another day. Lastly, if one thing does not work then try another thing.
There are several ways to deliver your points across your son or daughter. Don’t be afraid to try different approach. Your goal is to deliver points to your teenager because you want them to learn something. So, don’t give up and try all possible things.
After all, if you get to deliver your points correctly, it will be a life changing learning for your teenager one they ill be grateful for in time.
God Bless!!
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What is the one thing that you do to make sure that you drive your point across to your teenager. Do you leave us your reply in the comments section below?