THH070—3 Critical Questions to Consider When Communicating

In this follow-up installment, we delve deeper into our recent conversation with Cai Graham, exploring the three critical questions that can revolutionize parent-teen communication. Cai's ingenious approach involves asking teens to rate their day on a scale of 1-10 with "What's your number?" – offering a non-intrusive barometer for their emotional state. The question "What's your word?" encourages them to encapsulate their feelings or life in a single word, fostering emotional intelligence. Lastly, "Want to talk?" gracefully keeps the door ajar for more sharing while respecting teen boundaries. We unravel how these questions empower teens, occasionally sparking significant conversations, and discuss their applicability beyond parent-teen dynamics, offering a valuable tool for checking in on anyone's state of being. Tune in as we explore this transformative framework that facilitates open communication while allowing individuals to control the pace and content of their sharing. Key takeaways from this recap episode: •⁠ ⁠Cai Graham developed 3 simple but powerful questions to improve parent-teen communication. •⁠ ⁠"What's your number?" asks the teen to rate their day on a scale of 1-10. Gives a barometer without interrogation. •⁠ ⁠"What's your word?" asks them to describe their current feelings/life with one word. Builds emotional intelligence. •⁠ ⁠"Want to talk?" keeps the door open for more sharing while respecting teen boundaries/comfort level. •⁠ ⁠Though teens may decline to talk more mostly, occasionally it opens significant conversations. •⁠ ⁠This framework allows information flow while letting teens control pace and content. •⁠ ⁠These questions could work for any relationships when you want to check in with someone's state of being, not just parents. •⁠ ⁠It gauges life quality, elicits an experience descriptor, and checks if now works for more dialogue.