5 Ways To Connect With Your Tween

1. Leave them a note.  No, not in their lunchbox – that would be embarrassing! At night, leave a note on the bathroom mirror (with a dry erase marker), a sticky note in their shoe, or a card under the milk carton in the fridge. “Have a great day” or “Happy to see you’re in a great mood this morning” is perfect.

2. Make their favorite dinner. We all know about stressful weeks, don’t we? I think we often aren’t aware of the little stresses in our child’s lives. How great would it be to come home to your favorite home-cooked meal after a long day? I bet your teen would feel the same way.

3. Give them some slack. Is your daughter earning all A’s and one C? Don’t forget to appreciate all of the hard work that goes into keeping her grades up in middle or high school. An honest “I’m so proud of you earning A’s. What can I do to help you with that C?” is a question that validates her hard work, lets her know that you’re there for her, and also tells her that you’re not ok with a C.

4. Laugh a little. Spill the milk? Trip on the rug? I think as a busy Mom, our tendency is to say “Ugh” and add the little frustration to our pile. Laugh a little with your teen, and allow them to see you letting the little things roll off your shoulders.

5. Help with a chore. Grabbing a paper towel and helping with the window cleaning (or any other chore) is a great way to connect with your tween or teen. Ask how their day was, comment on the sad state of the windows, or quietly give them a hand. They’ll appreciate it, I’m sure.

Sometimes we have to stretch for those good times. You know, those moments that look totally natural in the commercials on TV? That’s ok. We can all do it together.