My teenage son won't talk to me!

Have you ever asked your teenage son, “how was school today?” He answers, “Good.” Or you ask, “What did you do in school today?” He answers, “Nothing.”

Hmmmmm. Most parents want a more open and detailed response, but they can’t seem to get more than one word answers or vague facts.

How do you get your teenage son to open up and talk more about his day or his experiences? Even though it seems like pulling teeth or a chess match there are some simple things a parent can do to have a more open relationship with their teenage son.

But, maybe you’re asking questions he’s likely to ignore or not be intrigued by. Are you asking close-ended questions?

Close-Ended Questions

If you can answer a question with only a "yes" or "no" response, then you’re asking a close-ended type of question. Now, to give you an idea of close-ended questions here are some examples which are used to produce a short, quick response...

• Are you feeling better today?
• Can you do me a favor?
• Did you finish your homework?
• Do you need help with that?
• Can you help me?
• Do you want to go to the movies tonight?
• How was the movie?
• Is math your favorite subject?
• Are you happy?

Close-ended questions have the potential to end a conversation, usually asking for no details. Connecting with your teenage son will most likely require you to go more in-depth and finding out how he expresses himself.

So, the obvious next step is to ask open-ended questions.

Here are some examples of open-ended questions:

• What are some of your favorite memories from childhood?
• Tell me about your day in school?
• Tell me about the things you enjoyed in school today...