Parent and Teen Communication with Linda Marten

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This weeks piece is an interview with Parent Coach, Linda Marten. 

I remember teaching teenagers for the first time when I was fresh out of college. It was one of the most difficult jobs I had up to that point. My classroom management skills were far from developed and I had some challenging teens. I certainly did not know how to communicate with them. It was chaos in my classroom. It was alienating for me and the students. I knew the parents were having hard times too. I have since learned how to communicate without being reactive (sometimes!). I want to share with parents how to communicate with their teens better. Learning some simple skills can really help improve relationships.

Linda Marten and I met to talk about how we can change our behavior to help us work better with teens. Linda, a parenting coach expert, helps families through some of the most difficult stages of life. She has worked with families in group settings and in private sessions. Linda offers some very simple and helpful tips on building parent teen relationships. One example that Linda mentions is that before jumping on an emotional roller coaster with your teenager is to give yourself a time out to allow yourself to process next step solutions. She also reminds parents that raising teenagers can be hard but not to neglect taking care of ourselves.