The 7 Dont's of Bonding With a Teen

I bring this out every now and then. As the parent of several teens, I have to be reminded every now and then of "how to deal with them correctly". It's something I found in the Good Housekeeping magazine dated December 2008.

The 7 Dont's of Bonding With a Teen

Follow these rules to keep your signals clear and your bond strong.

• Don't ask endless questions; you're not an inquisitor.
• Don't sing along to your teen's music uninvited (especially in front of her friends) or use her slang. She'll be mortified.
• Don't tease or be sarcastic.
• Don't talk when you could be listening.
• Don't cut your kid off when he's venting.
• Don't exclude your teen's friends from activities even when you'd rather have one-on-one time; making room for BFF's shows respect for your kid's life outside the family, too.
• Don't use Facebook or IMing as a way to spy, nag, or scold.