The teenage years are some of the most complex years of childhood. Teens don’t think of themselves as kids any longer, but they are not truly adults either. This is proven through the actual makeup of their brain – scientists say it’s not fully developed until the age of 25.

So, how do you deal with these pseudo-adults? Through a new kind of communication. It isn't easy and it takes a lot of patience, but it is worth it to build the foundation of a relationship that will sustain both of you.

As a high school teacher who has worked with thousands of teenagers over my 20-year career, I have learned and developed strategies that have changed the way I interact with teenagers. I became the teacher that all the kids came to after school to talk about their life, family, hopes and dreams. Wouldn’t you like to talk to your teen about those things? I am offering to share these proven strategies and tactics with you – to help you learn how to communicate with your teen in a new way.

This doesn't mean the challenges will magically disappear. I'm not offering you a magic pill that once taken will provide instantaneous success. What I am offering you are tools and techniques to shift your mindset. To allow you to see the challenges you have faced in the past as old patterns that can be changed. To listen to your teen differently so he or she really feels heard. To leave all the bickering and fighting behind and find a new normal. This is a new moment.

So, let's look at this with a new perspective and see how you can change your relationship with the teenagers in your life!

Over the course of 20 years, my students have come to me before school, at snack, at lunch, and after school asking for my advice about all sorts of things: friendship, relationships, family, college, or just being a teen. Sometimes they just want me to listen. Other times they really want my advice; and in the past, I often felt inadequate. Teacher education simply does not focus enough on the skills needed to deal with the emotional/social aspect of our jobs.

Then something amazing happened...

I attended a course about communicating for success. During that course, I learned about speaking to myself and others more precisely. It was like a light bulb went on. I learned techniques to remove old patterns of behavior that didn’t serve me – that were in fact harmful – and how to replace them with new behaviors to create meaningful change. I also learned that you cannot just do the same things over and over again, expecting different results; you need to shift your mindset and learn new techniques to communicate more precisely to get a successful outcome.

Then another light bulb went on – I recognized that I could use these techniques in my classroom to help my students. I want to give them the knowledge and tools they need to be successful in all aspects of their life.

I realized I could help the parents participate in this experience by providing them with the tools they need to communicate with their teens in a way that brings them together.

That’s when I decided to become a transformational coach, to help others shed old patterns and adopt new techniques to live happier, healthier lives. After taking many courses and becoming certified, I felt empowered. It was now crystal clear to me how I could use these newfound techniques to help students and parents learn to communicate more effectively and find success in different areas of their lives.