Talking as a family creates connection and an opportunity to talk about topics that really matter in the lives of your teens.
Talking Points:
- Especially in junior high and high school, tweens and teens are experiencing a myriad of new, sometimes confusing, emotions. Parents, this is definitely not the time to check out! Talking with your kids will help them parse out some of the tough emotions that come with adolescence.
- If you want your kids to take ownership in their lives, they need to discover things for themselves rather than simply checking off all the boxes you’ve drawn up for them. Conversation can help make that happen.
- Parents: equipping your kids to “take ownership” as a lifestyle is crucial for their growth and development, especially after they leave your care for college, work, travel, or whatever is next in their lives.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Are you excited about having family conversations, or is it intimidating/frightening for you? Explain.
- In what ways does your family communicate well? How could you learn to communicate better? Explain.
- Parents, how can family conversations help you?
- Explain the “discovery principle” in your own words. Do you agree that this principle is important? Why or why not?
- Explain “ownership” in your own words. Do you agree that this principle is important? Why or why not?
- What are some topics or series you’d like to talk about as a family?
- What are your long-term hopes/desires for having family conversations? What steps do you need to take to make those hopes/desires into realities?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
