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People of all ages can be hard to read. A person may say one thing, but his or her body language is saying something completely different. Teenagers are probably the most confusing of all. With their changing moods and drama filled lives it’s sometimes hard to keep up with what’s going on with them.
Being attentive to your teenager’s body language could help to build a stronger relationship. Here are some body language basics:
- When you ask your teenager a question and they give you an answer of “no”, but they nod their head up and down as if answering yes. This incongruity may indicate that they are feeling the opposite of their verbal answer. By gently saying “I know you answered no but your head movement answered yes”, it may help them to open up if something is bothering them.
- Happy and confident teenagers walk with their head eye and are not afraid to make eye contact and smile at others. If your teenager walks with his or her shoulders slumped and head down with eyes looking at the ground they may be having some confidence issues. Most teenagers tend to have this issue at one time or another. Letting them know this is normal may help them to normalize what they are feeling.
Although body language can be a useful indicator as to what your teenager is thinking or feeling, it is not a black and white way of understanding something. What you may take as odd may be a completely normal way to behave for your teenager. A slouchy teenager may just mean he or she is tired!
