Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

These are very simple and basic yet good reminders. And I think these can start much younger than the teen years. But the effort is required in the teen years as they won't automatically reach out, we have to do the reaching.

http://www.mothermag.com/connecting-with-teens/

Re: Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

These are really great! Some of these we do in our family and some we could incorporate more.

I have another tip that is working in our family: If you have a teen that doesn't really like to talk about feelings or what is going on with them, a journal written back and forth might help. I write notes back and forth in a journal with one of my children. It has definitely helped to open up communication between us better and they are more willing to write about their feelings than speak them aloud.

Re: Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

These are good! :heart Our oldest two are 15 and 18 and I've really felt drawn to making a few of those things priorities already. Its also a good reminder that I need to grab my copies of The Life Giving Home (Sally Clarkson) - I have the original book and the companion book - and finish / go back and remind myself of working in the things that work for our family. I planned to do that in early January. :doh

And having a much younger one (6) adds in another layer but in terms of traditions and rituals that are important to us, I think it lets the older two take a break from being "old" :shifty and lets them remember and indulge in younger things that we may have dropped if we didn't have the youngest. Hope that makes sense - I keep getting distracted by the HUGE, gorgeous snowflakes falling and listening to the littlest tell me about a highly detailed dragon world he's created, including jabbering about, "And when I was a baby dragon ..." :haha

Re: Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

I loved the Life Giving Home. I don't think we have a ton of rituals in our home, but I certainly find comfort in the ones that we have especially related to holidays and celebrations. We are terrible at sit down meals, but when we do sit down, I love the conversation that flows. I think I need to be more intentional about that. :yes

Re: Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

We have been really good about family devotions since dh and I got
Laid off and the discussion about a read aloud we r doing. Dh and I also decided w me going back to work 2nd shift we r going to more formal breakfasts where we will all sit down together at the same time.

Then when he goes back to work (1st shift) he will sit down at dinner w them and I will have breakfast so even if family meals don’t happen they get one parent at each meal and spend two together.

It makes going back to work a tiny bit easier for me :heart

Re: Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

Thanks for sharing this. We were so busy when DS1 was in high school we failed on several of these. Now that things are on a more even keel business wise, I need to do better for the twins.

Re: Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

:hug I find it hard, too, with everything we have going on. I try to remember to do the best I can and realize that whatever I can do to connect is a plus. I try to remind myself that I don't have to do it all to be a good parent. :)

Re: Ten Ways to Connect With a Teen
 

:yes to both of you. :hug It is hard especially now that we go 3-5 directions a lot of days. Someone has something every day M-F and that’s not counting two people w jobs who often work weekends.

Dh and I are constantly refocusing and working to figure how to connect. It gets harder the older they get due to time and schedules and busyness. Not to mention the sheer exhaustion of life. I’m feeling my 12yo is really getting the short end of the stick lately and spends more time w our neighbor than shedoes with us. :( I’m working to just enjoy the moments we do have and not force her to stay home.