While it’s never nice to be at the end of silent treatment from your teen, there are reasons behind it. Here are some of the reasons why your teen won’t talk and how you can communicate better with them:
Part of their development
It’s hard to believe that your teen’s one-worded answers are part of their development, but it actually is. It’s still never nice to experience this from your teen first-hand though. It can be upsetting and make you feel that you are out of tune with your teen. The best way to handle this situation is to ask them open ended questions and if that doesn’t work, insist that “you need more information” before allowing them to go anywhere.
Too many questions
This can be difficult, especially if your teen is not giving you much information or engaging in a conversation with you. However if you pester your teen with too many questions, they will completely close off altogether. The best thing you can do in these situations is to trust your teenager and let them know that you trust them; it’s not easy. But if you reach an agreement between you and your teen to be honest and open with each other, it will strengthen your relationship with your teen in the long run.
Fights
You will have many disagreements with your teens, but when it comes to fights try to limit them as much as possible. Remember that people argue in the healthiest of relationships, it’s normal. But constant bickering can wear on a relationship, and can also cause rifts between you and your teen. So try to discuss conflicts in a rational matter with your teen and most importantly don’t leave any disagreement unresolved.
Missed signals
Even though it might not seem like it at times, your teen will want to talk, and in cases like these it is always a good idea to notice the signals. Your teen may be unsure of how to approach you, so let them know that you are always there for them if they need you.
