Talking to Teens
- “I expect you to talk to me without using four-letter words.” vs. “Don’t you dare talk to me that way.”
- “I’m glad you told me.” vs. “How could you have been so stupid.”
- “I am upset that you have not considered my needs.” vs. “I told you so.”
- “I’m glad you have learned from the experience.” vs. “I told you so.”
- “I am angry that you have not picked up after yourself.” vs. “Why can’t you do anything around here?”
- “How do you feel about the grade you earned?” vs. “With the little effort you put in, I knew you would get a bad grade.”
- “What do you need from me in order for you to take care of that?” vs. “You never take responsibility for anything!”
- “You have some difficult decisions to made.” vs. “You’re headed for trouble.”
- “I appreciate the time you took to clean your room.” vs. “It’s about time you did something around here.”
- “When you leave your things all over the house, I feel frustrated and embarrassed when company comes over.” vs. “You’re such a slob!”
- “It sounds as though it is very important to you.” vs. “You can’t possibly think I’ll agree to that.”
- “Our relationship is important to me.” vs. “All you ever do is fight with me.”
- “There are some important lessons that you are learning.” vs. “I can’t believe that you’ll ever be able to get along in this world.”
- “I’m afraid you’re going to have to accept the consequences of your behavior.” vs. “This is the last time I bail you out.”
- “It’s important to me that you make an effort to be less negative.” vs. “I can’t stand that negative attitude of yours.”
- “Apparently we are finished with this conversation.” vs. “You always have to have the last word.”
- “Because it’s something I feel very strongly about.” vs. “Because I said so!”
- “I expect to be treated with respect.” vs. “Don’t you talk back to me.”