How to reconnect when a child starts to pull back

Your child may not have the words to explain what is upsetting them, but learning to meet them on their level can help bridge the divide

It is important to be ready to listen when teenagers are ready to talk. Picture: iStock 

WHEN children or teens are reluctant to talk about what might be bothering them, it can be hard to know whether they are, in fact, feeling a bit overwhelmed or stressed.

A change in behaviour can often be code for something is up, says psychotherapist and author Joanna Fortune: “Behaviour tends to be the way children and teenagers express something they’re either not yet ready or able to verbally express. What the behaviours look and sound like varies in accordance with age and stage of development.