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One tool you do have available to you if your teen is in a crisis is to talk and communicate with them. However, this isn’t always an easy task and does take a little bit of planning on your end before you dive in.

Being a teenager is hard and often brings its own set of challenges for your child and for you as a parent. The following tips are going to help you talk to your teen so you can help them through a difficult time in their life. What’s most important is that you show you care and do all you can to patiently work your way through any challenging circumstances that arise.

Your first order of business when talking to your teen is to sit down with them and listen. Try to avoid making assumptions or speaking over them and instead commit to lending an open ear. All they may need from you right now is support and for you to show that you want to help them by hearing them out. 

You can also help your teen through a crisis by offering up solutions once you have the full story. For example, you may observe that their crisis is dealing with a mental illness, and you might choose to look into teen depression help. Some problems are too big for you to try and handle or manage on your own and will require professional assistance, so be willing to take this step if need be.

Most importantly, be available and more involved in your teen’s life if you want to help them through a crisis. Half the battle is you being able to practice work-life balance and being present in your child’s life more regularly. This will help you to get to know them better, and you’ll be able to better spot any warning signs or red flags with their behavior. 

You can also help your teen through a crisis by relating to them on their level. For instance, maybe you have a story to share that is exactly in line with what they’re going through. In this case, it would be a wise idea to open up and share these details, so your teen doesn’t feel so alone and isolated. You can help them to feel more normal and hopeful that there is help and that they can get through this difficult time because you did.

It’s in your best interest to avoid any and all judgments at all costs when talking with your teen. This is especially important when you’re dealing with a serious situation such as a crisis. It may be tempting to want to give your input or advice quickly but tread lightly and instead simply listen to them and observe the situation and their feelings. Be mindful of your tone of voice and body language when you’re talking to your teen as well because they will pick up on these cues.