Tips for Parenting Teens and Tweens

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Q: Can the Tools help you get your tween or teen to do something, like clean up their room or do their homework?

Barry: Adolescence is where the rubber meets the road. Adolescents are devoted to defying your authority because they’re establishing their own autonomy. If we want to have an impact as parents, we need to work on ourselves and learn how to communicate credibly.

If you express yourself in the most authentic way possible, your kids will feel that, and there’s a chance they’ll listen because they won’t feel like they’re being controlled. They may never acknowledge that they’re listening, but you’re planting a seed that might grow. 

I'm not saying this makes adolescence easy, but it makes parenting an adolescent at least a little bit more effective, because the emphasis is on you and the vibe you’re giving out. If you give out a controlling vibe, he or she will rebel against you.

Phil: If you want to control your kids, good luck. If you want to try to inspire them, you have to get in there and actually do the work. 

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