Share your teen parenting tips here!

best thing I ever heard w/ pick your battles so you can win the war. I know it's tough but we have to face it......they arn't us and they have to make their own way in the world. You can't fight w/ them all the time. Drive the whole family nuts.

ya i tell them later we will talk and yes i have a teenager who is deaf so my expressions are very important

my son just turned 13 this past December.   Although it has been a battle already , I really agree with alot of the tips and ideas.    The tone of voice is very important.   I have learned that yelling just gets you know where - and that is not only with teens but from a young age.    I have always sat down and talked with my children and take into consideration their point of view also.

Quoting CafeMom Team:

Below are a few tips about connecting with your teen. Do you agree with any of these tips? Which ones have you tried? Did they work? Share your own teen parenting tips on this thread.

1 - Your tone of voice is extremely important. Yelling simply doesn't work. The loud noise will shut down the listener (your teen) and you will not get through. If you feel the need to yell, 'time out' of the conversation until you have better control. I totally agree. We need to think how we would feel, and how we would react if someone used the yelling approach on us. We would also shut down and tune that person out.

2 - "Because I said so" actually works when you are being pulled into a power struggle in discipline situations. You are the parent, and because of this, you do have the final say. Teenagers know this and trust you because of it. But do try to explain your reasoning whenever possible. This really makes me laugh because I bought myself a tshirt a few years ago in Kohl's...with the saying on it "Because I Said So". You can't imagine how many moms I've seen in the stores who told me they would love to have a tshirt like that. LOL !

3 - Do things together one-on-one and with the whole family. Good times often bring about great conversations, and wonderful memories. GREAT advice !!!!

4 - Do as I say, not as I do' doesn't work. Modeling is the best way of learning. You are your teenager's model and they will emulate your behaviors.  This approach will never work because the teen will just tell you what you are doing wrong, and they will not respect you for telling them not to do something they see you doing...even though you are the parent and you are older.

5 - Never shut your teen out to show that you disapprove of their behavior. If you need time before you can talk to them about something that has upset you, tell them that you need time. Don't walk away silent. Bravo. Silence helps nothing. All it does is push them away.

Click here - for more tips on communicating with your teen

Pray that your dr will prescribe you valium.... lol... mine has not! 

Yelling actually works with my kids. They finally sit down and listen when I really start yelling. Other times they tune me out. I don't yell very often tho.

I think the most important thing I've done with my daughters is to always be honest with them, to treat them like they are people, to ask their advice, to say I'm sorry when I mess up, to let them know that we are all going through difficult things all the time and that things get better, and then get worse. I think that being "real" with them has helped them connect with me in ways that have really strengthened our relationship.

I agree that as a parent, we have to pick our battles carefully.  If we try to control our children in every area that bothers us, we lose our effectiveness.  Limit your battles to those you can back up with reason and logic, not just emotion and we will be more effective parents. 

Don't force your teens into talking when they aren't ready.  Give them space.

Tell them that you love them daily. 

Listen to your teens.  They need to know they will be heard whether YOU agree with them or not.  It's too easy to be judgemental and always be stuck in the "I'm right your wrong" attitude.

The best advice I ever got on parenting teens was from a friend just slightly older than me who had just survived...LOL!

*** ALWAYS make them hug you, at least once a day!!! Boys go through a phase where it's not cool (maybe girls too, IDK), but once they come out of that stage it's sometimes akward to show your mom affection again. If it's a daily thing, it's easier to continue.

My children hug me daily and we are very open to saying I love you, they don’t care if their friends are there or not. I got very lucky in this department.