I have spent a lot of time listening to what frustrates moms. At the top of the list is not being able to communicate to their teens. When I dig down and ask the moms what they mean by this, they say they want an open, authentic, and positive response from their teen. Because if you don’t get a positive response you are not going to have the conversation or the behaviors/results you want.

The million-dollar question is, “How do you get a positive response from your teen?”

There are many aspects to this question, and here's a big one. John Gottman, PhD (a very well known author, clinician and researcher) states, "94% of the time the way a conversation starts, predicts how it will end." So, how you start a conversation with your teen is going tostrongly influence the response.

In this episode we explore the difference between harsh startups and soft startups. You will be given 6 key components to soften your startups.

Some of you might be thinking, “This just sounds like too much work…I’m going to just be myself and express myself anyway I want.” You can express yourself anyway you want--- but does it give you the results or responses you want? Yes, being more intentional, and strategic is a little more work . . .but the work is worth it.

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