RULE 85

Let them have the last word

Oooh, this is difficult sometimes. But you have to pick your battles, and you don’t want to get sucked into a yelling session – as we’ve just established.

Not every conversation you have with your teenager is going to end amicably. I think you know that. Which means that when you finish a tricky discussion (or your teenager finishes it for you by walking off) there’s likely to be a petulant or cantankerous or snappy or sarky closing remark from one of you. Replied to by the other. And thrown back again … and so on. Oh, look – you haven’t finished the discussion after all. Not that it’s very constructive any more. In fact, it’s descending into one of those yelling matches we just decided to avoid …

Hold up ...

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