Teens these days can be hard to understand. The latest research on teens suggests they are less likely than previous generations to actually meet with their peers and more likely to engage online with both people they know or even people they have never met. Obviously, in the middle of the pandemic this can have safety advantages. However, it leaves many parents wondering how to help and what is normally in their teenagers social life! We understand. We often work with teens with ADHD or other developmental challenges which impact social functioning. This can require building social skills, social awareness and reading social cues. If you think your child may need help in this regard, consider working with a therapist or teen group therapy to support. However, if you are not concerned about these skills, you may still have questions about what is normal. The main tip here is to ask your Teen if they are happy with the current friendships they have or they desire something different. If they are happy, you are done for now. If they desire something different- more friends, closer friends, a best friend, you might explore what this looks like (have they had this in the past and it changed) or what do they think gets in the way in developing friendships? The easiest tip is to look for common ground and mutual interest and consider signing up for a new group or activity of interest. For more tips, please contact us! 619-549-0329 ext 0
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