Now that you have had a chance to watch the video, let’s take one more breath. If you missed it you can check it out HERE. Reacting is easy, responding isn’t. Responding shows your teen that you love them enough to stop for a moment and make sure what you are saying or doing is based on truth and not emotion. Reacting can be a really selfish act. We want to get our point across at all costs. Sometimes the cost is just a little too high. It can cost the trust our teens have in us. It can cost the time it takes to rebuild that trust in our relationship.
This is a biggie and it can be a deal breaker. Can your teen trust that you will respond and not react to any given situation. Because there are lots and lots of situations! Have the courage to ask your teen if you respond or react and then give them permission to tell you how they wish you would handle these situations. It takes a brave and humble parent to realize that before we can teach our teens this concept maybe we should learn it for ourselves!