Your inquiry: how do I talk to my college age son?

To effectively communicate with your college-age son, maintain open and non-judgmental lines of communication, actively listen to his perspective, and show genuine interest in his experiences and concerns.

More detailed answer to your request

To effectively communicate with your college-age son, it is important to establish a strong foundation of open and non-judgmental lines of communication. Here are some detailed strategies to enhance your conversations and connect with your son on a deeper level:

1. Create a comfortable environment: Find a quiet and comfortable space where both of you can have an uninterrupted conversation. This will help foster a sense of openness and encourage your son to express himself freely.

2. Active listening: Practice active listening by giving your full attention to your son when he speaks. Avoid interrupting or jumping to conclusions. Show empathy, understanding, and respect for his perspective, even if you may not agree with it.

3. Avoid being judgmental: Keep in mind that your son is experiencing new challenges and opportunities during his college years. Be accepting of his choices, even if they differ from your perspectives or expectations. Avoid criticizing or lecturing him, as this can hinder open communication.

4. Show genuine interest: Demonstrate curiosity and engagement in your son’s experiences, interests, and concerns. Ask open-ended questions that promote meaningful discussions. This will allow him to share his thoughts and feelings more freely, strengthening your bond and mutual understanding.

5. Recognize his autonomy: College is a time when young adults assert their independence. Acknowledge their growing autonomy and decision-making abilities. Trust his judgment, and be supportive of his choices, when appropriate.

6. Be patient and non-defensive: It is crucial to remain calm and composed during conversations, even if you disagree with your son’s opinions or decisions. Avoid becoming defensive or argumentative, as this can shut down communication. Keep in mind that it is okay to have differing perspectives.

In addition to these strategies, here is an inspiring quote from Maya Angelou, an American poet and civil rights activist, emphasizing the importance of effective communication in building strong relationships:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Interesting facts about communication and parent-child relationships:

1. According to a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, positive parent-child communication during the college years is associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and well-being for both parents and young adults.

2. Effective communication fosters a sense of trust and strengthens the parent-child relationship, which can help parents influence their children’s decision-making process positively.

3. Communication challenges may arise due to generational differences, technological distractions, or differences in communication styles. Adaptability and understanding can help overcome these challenges.

Table: Strategies to Improve Communication with Your College-Age Son

Strategy	Explanation
Create a comfortable environment	Find a quiet and comfortable space for open conversation.
Active listening	Focus on understanding and empathizing with your son’s perspective.
Avoid being judgmental	Accept your son’s choices and respect his autonomy.
Show genuine interest	Demonstrate curiosity and engage in his experiences and concerns.
Recognize his autonomy	Acknowledge his growing independence and decision-making abilities.
Be patient and non-defensive	Remain calm and composed, even if there are disagreements.

See the answer to “How do I talk to my college age son?” in this video

In this video, Sadie Robertson shares various messages with her fellow college-age friends. She reflects on the importance of finding purpose and passion even in seemingly insignificant situations, and how God’s creations, like plankton, play crucial roles in the grand scheme of things. Sadie also encourages her peers not to be afraid of losing their relationship with God in college, emphasizing that it is a relationship and a walk of obedience. She highlights the significance of spiritual preparation, accountability, and rootedness in receiving God’s promises and making an impact on the world. Sadie shares a story about an encounter with a homeless man that challenged her faith, reminding her of the importance of living out and sharing the truth. Finally, she talks about facing and healing from fear and brokenness, surrendering to God and allowing Him to bring healing and purpose to life. Sadie emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit in empowering individuals to make a difference in the world.

There are alternative points of view

Communicating With Your College Student: Six Principles to Help You Make the Most of Opportunities

1. Principle #1: Prepare for your conversation.
2. Principle #2: Remember that a conversation is transactional.
3. Principle #3: Have a beginning and ending in mind.
4. Principle #4: Different questions get different results.

Communicating Effectively With Your College Kid

• First, establish expectations. Talk about how often you’ll be in touch.
• Second, discuss the preferred mode of communication. Mostly, college kids prefer to text, but sometimes they may want to discuss their joys and struggles via a phone call or FaceTime so that they can hear your voice and perhaps see you as well.
• Third, let your child take the lead when you connect.

Moreover, people are interested

Also, How do I communicate with my college son?
How to Stay Connected and Communicate Effectively With Your College Kid

1. Set expectations.
2. Establish a mode of communication.
3. Prepare for your conversation.
4. Remember, a conversation is a two-way street.
5. Remember, “no news is good news”
6. Visit on parent’s weekend but don’t surprise them.
7. Be patient.

Subsequently, How often should I text my son at college? Refrain From Too Much Engagement. You do not need to text your teen every day. Sending messages just for the sake of sending them gets really annoying and they will start to ignore your communication altogether. While it is nice to text them "Love You" or "Miss You" once in a while, do not go overboard.

Also to know is, How do I help my son who is struggling with college?
The answer is: Here are my 5 tips that you can share with your student who is struggling with that one tough class.

1. Talk to the Professor. UVicLibraries.
2. Talk to an Academic Advisor.
3. Seek Help at the Tutoring Center.
4. Form a Study Group.
5. Practice Better Time Management.

Correspondingly, How often should a college student call their parents?
There are no rules. You should call your parents as often as you want to. But do try to call them often enough so they don’t feel neglected and that you still care about them. Remember, they want to know how you are doing.

How can I get my child thinking realistically about college?
Response: Here are five talking points to help get your child thinking realistically about college and the future. 1. Fit matters more than location. Some kids dream of going to school in a big city or in an exciting location. Others want to stay close to home. However, most families find that location isn’t nearly as important as the right college fit.

Beside above, How can I Help my Child adjust to college?
Answer to this: Kids who tend to avoid them may have a harder time adjusting to college. Talk to kids about why it’s important to build a social life, and the value of having people to hang out with. Remind your child that teams, clubs, campus activities, and sororities are a natural way to meet people. They also help create a support network.

What advice do college students give their parents?
Here are the experiences and advice offered from college students to their parents: ‘I feel excluded’ I’m not getting trashed five days in a row. It’s Friday and I NEED to get drunk and have fun. I think I deserve it. So stop lecturing me on alcohol and drugs. I’m NOT an alcoholic. You’re the closest friend of mine.

How often should you communicate with your teenager before college?
Before your teen heads off to college, it is important that you decide together how often you will communicate and with what method. Most parents opt for once-a-week communication with their new college student and more if the student feels they need to talk.

Keeping this in consideration, When should you talk to your young adult about college?
Whether this is your first child heading off to college or your last, it is essential that you carve out time to talk to your young adult about making wise choices at college. Clearly, the best time to have this conversation (or series of conversations) is during the summer before you drop your freshman off at college.

How can I get my child thinking realistically about college?
Here are five talking points to help get your child thinking realistically about college and the future. 1. Fit matters more than location. Some kids dream of going to school in a big city or in an exciting location. Others want to stay close to home. However, most families find that location isn’t nearly as important as the right college fit.

Similarly, How do parents talk to their students?
For parents that want to talk to their students consistently, it might be helpful to establish a day and time each week when they will talk, Skype or FaceTime. As a parent though, you need to be flexible. Sometimes your student will have a study group or other obligation and cannot talk to you at the scheduled time.

How do you talk to a teenager? Answer to this: Parents often talk about how tough it is to talk to teenagers, how their kids won’t say anything or listen to them. Let’s take a typical scenario: You want to talk to your teenage son about his “irresponsible” behavior (maybe it’s playing too many games, not doing his homework or neglecting his chores). You approach him by asking, “Can we talk?”