I have four kids. In my house, getting through a day means balancing so many things! It can quickly become the “tyranny of the urgent” and the next thing you know, a conflict is brewing in some corner of the house that you haven’t gotten to yet. Even when you intentionally check in with your kids, you may not get far. Kids and teens don’t always do well with questioning, and they might even shut down, get irritable or just give you a pat answer. So is there anything that helps get them to communicate with you?

Here are two games I like to play with kids and families to help them communicate in ways that don’t rely on questions.

But what if I need to ask a question?

Another very helpful technique is to buffer your question with “I wonder” (or whatever your wording might be) so that it’s not as direct. Here’s some tips for how you can make that work to help teens and kids feel less interrogated and more appreciated. (***This works with adults, too!!)

This book is a classic. You can get it in every format, and I’ve had many parents listen to the audiobook while doing life. I like the comics in it the best: They show real-world scenarios and how to respond to them.

I hope you all are doing well out there. I keep thinking how we are living through history, and my hope is that our kids remember this, not just for the coronavirus, but for the depth and strength it brought to our families.

See you soon,
Jason