Trigger Points for Conflict New Haven CT

Trigger Points for Conflict

Since going to college is a major life event, it’s inevitable that conflict will arise as stress levels go up. This is a time that’s hard on everyone: on you, as you try to balance letting go with your role as a parent and your desire to have only the best for your child; and on your child who is entering the unknown world of adulthood. It’s exciting and scary all at once.

Respect goes both ways
If conflicts are coming up and the air around the house seems to be thickening with tension, it’s time to schedule some time to sit down with your child and practice a skill that often comes hard to many of us: conflict resolution. Request some time — don’t demand it. Demonstrate respect for your child by making sure any other pressing obligations and younger siblings are out of the way. It might be meaningful to set the meeting at a place with significance for both of you, such as a favorite restaurant or secluded spot at a park. This should underscore the importance of the meeting and assist to discuss conflicts clearly and calmly.

Start off by emphasizing the positive aspects of the process — your mutual hopes and dreams, the excitement of a wide range of opportunities and options. You’re sharing an experience that is the culmination of many years of schooling and parenting. Acknowledging that no decisions need to be made overnight, any disagreements resolved instantly may help ease tensions early on in the conversation. Let you...

Author: Amy Ambler

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