April Newsletter "Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding a bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life." Brian Tracy |
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Tips for Improving Cell Phone Communication With Your Teen |
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Don't be surprised when your tween or teen does not respond to your voicemails. They despise voicemails and emails. They are inconvenient to retrieve and uncomfortable to respond to, so often ignored. Let's face it, like it or not, texting is the best way to communicate with your daughter in a format that she is likely to respond to. Texting has a purpose and can be an efficient way to share information, get prompt answers to questions, or get a message to someone without having their phone ring at an inopportune time. Sounds good but what are some pitfalls of texting? It is easy to fire them off without much thought or reflection. We've all been there, our fingers moving at the speed of sound, and we find ourselves using all caps, or what I like to call, the "Shouting Font." If you are heading into paragraph territory, you probably need to step back, reflect, and continue the conversation over the phone or in person.
Here are some tips for creating cell phone communication guidelines with your tween or teen. Use texts for short concrete communications or quick expressions of appreciation, thinking about you, or encouragement. Agree that important and hard conversations will be done over the phone or better yet, in person. Review text etiquette with your tween/teen (see link below to more information).
If you would like to learn more strategies and tools for improving communication with your teen, sign up for my upcoming workshop: Building Bridges of Communication with Your Tween/Teen scheduled later this month. (See Upcoming Events below for more details). | | |
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Monthly Teen Tool- Phone Etiquette Picking up the phone and making an appointment instead of relying on your mom to do it is a necessary skill. Have your teen start setting up appointments such as haircuts, vet appointments for your pet, oil changes if they are driving etc, so they can practice this skill. You can also practice having them use the phone to order takeout food or make a dinner reservation at a restaurant. Teens don’t like talking on the phone, but it’s a vital skill. Role play so you can review the basics of phone etiquette such as identifying yourself, speaking slowly, stating the reason for the call- Finally, they should remember to thank the person on the phone for their time. Remind them to have a paper and pen ready to jot down important information about the date and time of the appointment, reservation, or the pickup order number for the takeout. Click on the link below to learn more about cell phone safety and etiquette. | | |
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Do you feel locked out, frustrated, or ineffective? Do you feel like you and your tween or teen are speaking a different language? You are not alone. Join other moms as we dig into the science behind the teenage brain. You will learn specific tools and strategies for Building 3 Essential Bridges of Communication with your teen. This will be a time for you to share your challenges, tips, and experiences with other moms who can meet you right where you are. Finally you will create a personalized Partner Journal that you can start using with your teen. And of course we will share some yummy desserts and a tea or a coffee. Click on the link below or reach out to me ginnymoylan@findingyourfirefly.com to learn more. | | |
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Upcoming Events Strong Like a Girl is a safe space for girls in grades 6-9 to learn about he importance of building healthy relationships and advocating for others. Our theme this year has been Social Empowerment and Having a Voice. To date the girls have created an Anti-Bullying Art Installation and written and produced a public service announcement on the Dangers of Online Sports Gambling for Teens. Both of these projects and our 3Q project will be presented to the community at large at our Project Showcase in May. Registration is currently open for our Third Quarter Session. Visit: www.NOWinMotion.org to sign up. | | |
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