Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Staying connected once they become teenagers

7 replies

superdeeduper · 20/01/2011 11:38

My son is nearly 14 and I am starting to notice the distancing (for want of a better word) from myself. I guess a teenage boy has better things to do than spending time with his old mum!

But how do you keep the communication lines open? I'm feeling a wee bit sad that he is growing up but also proud that he has his own social circle and interests. It's a weird feeling. He is not a boy of many words however, he has even been described as deep, and so it's something I feel I need to work hard at and keep communication going. But how? And how to do it without coming across as interfering or pushy?

Don't like the new territory of teenagedom!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
milou2 · 20/01/2011 11:49

My older son is 15. I hang around the kitchen and wait for him to chat to me. Often it is at 11pm. In the car I just wait too. If I chat to him I make it brief and more about something I noticed today, not a direct question about his classes or anything controversial!

He likes me dying his hair and has his computer set up on my desk in the kitchen so he's often around.

TanteRose · 20/01/2011 11:52

Have you read "Get out of my life but first take me and Alex into town" ? here on Amazon

its quite good at describing what makes teenagers the way they are.

I have a DD (13) and she is still quite chatty.
My DS is nearly 12 and no doubt will be the same as yours when he is 14....

One good piece of advice is to talk to them in the car when you are driving. The lack of eye contact means they can open up a bit more...

other than that, I am hoping that they both know they can talk to me and DH - but we won't put pressure on them.
Its very difficult, I agree!

milou2 · 20/01/2011 11:52

It was his choice to put his screens up on my desk by the way, I wasn't telling him to so I could see what he's up to.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

mumblechum · 20/01/2011 11:55

Almost all of the communition I have with ds is in the car. I take him to school even though there's a bus just so we can have chats.

The rest of the time he's holed up in his room or doing sports.

AngelDog · 20/01/2011 23:52

Have you read How to talk so teens will listen (& listen so teens will talk)?

pippop1 · 21/01/2011 00:17

It's also good to talk to him while you are cooking and he just leans on the counter (in the way) and chats.

readytobeamum · 21/01/2011 11:31

I think there is always a certain level of distancing at this age. When I was 14-16 I was going out a lot more and being an only child it got pretty lonely for mum but I was having fun and didn't notice.

It is just a phase, don't push anything too much as hormones are going everywhere at this age and if you thought three year old tantrums were bad try calming down a very angry teen! :-S

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread