Families are meant to go through crisis and come out strong from it if the entire family unit remains close knit in testing times. While some families will look at a crisis from a negative perspective, others consider a crisis as an opportunity in waiting. The opportunity is even more alluring when you realize that connecting with your teen offspring during crisis makes them strong. You will get ample chances to make a real connection with your children, show them how to resolve big problems, and guide them in channeling their energies towards positive activities. How do you plan to have a conversation with your child when your family is hit by a crisis?

Ice Breaker

An extremely difficult part of parenting is speaking with your children about difficult issues. How you approach this step would decide if you’re a good parent or the best. Don’t delay important conversations with kids just because you think they won’t understand because one of these days they would find out about the problem on their own and the situation can get tricky after that. Better hear it from you than anyone else.

All mature adults realize that having tough conversations with kids is no joke but they still decide to inform the young ones about the situation at home. Strong family units meet the needs of all family members and are able to negotiate a peace deal when a conflict arises. You’re also arming the kids to carefully navigate difficult interpersonal situations with great expertise and this is the kind of skill that ensures success in the long run.

Follow the Basics

The most basic steps to follow when talking with your child during crisis are as follows:

Listen: When your child wants to discuss something with you or have queries regarding the issue you discussed with him/her, the wisest parents would talk less and listen more to what the child is saying. It would help the kids vent out their frustrations in the privacy of trusted company. By lending an ear to what they are saying, you are gaining their trust and admiration all in one go.

Empathy: Humans have empathy and they should never fail to show it when the situation requires them to do so. It is very important for parents to look at and feel the pulse of the situation from the child’s perspective. By doing so, you are providing your child with a chance to get his/her feelings out when he/she feels upset at times. You should know how to talk to your teen in times of crisis. Knowing a thing or two about empathy also won’t hurt you.

Problem solved: Consider half your problems solved if you allow your child to vent out his/her feelings because a less emotional child would be able to solve problems more efficiently than if he/she is mentally distressed. Children would listen to what you’re saying and understand it better if they aren’t stressed.

Parents should try to talk to their children as soon as a crisis befalls a family. If you avoid having this difficult discussion with your child today, he/she might grow up to become a coward who turns away from life’s difficulties because they lack the courage to take the problem head on. People can agree on some issues with each other one day and disagree over other issues the next, but it doesn’t mean that they should not talk it out amongst themselves. Your child would need this skill to handle personal and interpersonal relationships which would in turn define their entire life. It’s time to take a good decision today rather than delaying it to another day.