Ever ask your teen "How was your day?" and get nothing but a grunt and "fine?"

You miss the days when they were little and told you everything. They'd chatter away in the car, share every detail about their friends, and come running to you with their problems.

Now they've gone quiet right when you need to know what's going on most. They disappear into their room, give you one-word answers, and you feel like you're living with a stranger.

You know these years are critical. You know there are conversations you need to be having before they leave home. But every time you try, it turns into a lecture, an argument, or awkward silence.

If you're watching the teenage years slip by and feeling like you're losing precious time to speak into their life, today's conversation is for you...

I'm talking with Tim and Mark Shoemaker, a father-son duo and authors of What to Say and How to Say It to Your Teen.

What makes their approach so compelling is that they've written this book together, combining Tim's perspective as a parent with Mark's insights as both a father and a youth and family pastor.

They share why the tactics that worked in elementary school backfire with teens, how to avoid conversation killers that shut them down instantly, and why atmosphere, timing, and tone matter more than you think.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• How to get your teenager to actually open up instead of giving you one-word answers
• The 30 tricky conversations you need to have before they leave home (and how to approach them)
• Why interrupting them because you "already know" what they'll say destroys trust
• When to deal with something immediately versus waiting for the right moment
• How to rebuild trust when you've already blown it multiple times
• Why taking them to a restaurant works better than cornering them in their bedroom

Where to Listen:

• ​​​Watch on YouTube​​
• ​Watch on Spotify​​
• ​​Listen on Apple Podcasts​​
• ​​Listen Online​ (no sign-in required)

If you're terrified of having the big conversations or feel like you've lost your teenager's trust, this episode will give you hope and practical tools to reconnect.

-- Brittany Ann

Equipping Godly Women

p.s. Want to handle these tough conversations in ways that build trust instead of driving them away?

Tim and Mark's book What to Say and How to Say It to Your Teen is your complete guide to navigating everything from anxiety and dating questions to faith struggles and phone boundaries.

You'll learn exactly what to say, how to say it, and when to say it to help build trust that lasts a lifetime, not just get through the conversation.

​Find it on Amazon here​