Tips for Communicating Heart-to-Heart
As adults who survived our teenage years, it can be painful watching the teenagers in our lives navigate relationships. ABSOLUTELY. PAINFUL. They are awkward, and full and complete communication? Well, let’s just say it rarely exists. Throw in the added spotlight and pressure that social media brings to a relationship, and you have one hot mess!Navigating the waters of dating was hard enough when we were in high school and college, and we did not have the 24/7 pressure of cell phones, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. There was no trying to read between the lines of a 140 character post on Twitter or having everyone question why you have yet to post a picture of your significant other on Instagram.If someone wanted to talk to me they had to pick up a telephone and fret about who they had to go through in order to actually get me on the line. (i.e. my dad!) And, Heaven forbid they called after 9:00 PM. If they wanted to get to know me, and I them, we had to actually speak to one another, without worrying about which emoji should be used to punctuate a statement.Teenagers, communication, and relationships is a hot topic in my household right now, and in an effort to help my daughter prepare for a specific conversation she is planning to have with her boyfriend, I wrote the tips below with them in mind. Funny thing is, whether you are a teenager working to figure out how relationships work, have been with your significant other for just a few years or married for decades, or need to have a heart-to-heart with your best friend, these communication tips for communicating heart-to-heart are important for all of us to remember.
Be present; leave your phone in another room and give your full attention.
Say what you need to say; don't leave anything unsaid. And, give the other room to do the same.
Listen fully and completely, and not just with your head but with your heart too; don't assume you know what the other is going to say or where the conversation is leading.
Ask; if you don't understand something, ask for clarity.
Be gentle with one another; don't speak in anger or say anything you'll later regret.
Be gentle with yourself too. You are dealing with feelings; there is no right or wrong/good or bad.
Don't burn your bridge; regrets are a terrible thing.
What tips would you add to this list? Please comment or send me an email! I'd love to hear what you would add to this list. :)