Texting Trumps Talking

This week I've been appreciating texting and the way it has helped my relationship with my teenage daughter. In fact, I'm not sure we could have navigated the middle and high school years without it! There are so many things to say and so many of them are better received in written form.

Mornings can be hard for us. Stress over getting up and out the door early doesn't lend itself to pleasant conversations. It's so nice when I see this after a less than ideal interaction before school.


Texting also allows us to discuss things that could easily escalate into a full blown fight if we were face to face. I feel like I can say no to requests easier over a text because there's an opportunity to write out an explanation and a chance to consider each other's words before responding. Curfews, for example...


Much easier to negotiate like this than with whining, begging, and shouting...

 

Want to make a request that you know is not going to be well received? Try this...


Need to find out the dirt on a sibling? Maybe that new driver needs a little more instruction...


Last minute requests for school never get any easier...


Yes, texting can sometimes get a bad rap, but it certainly has provided a valuable tool for communication in the teenage years. It might seem impersonal, but there's a lot of our "voices" in there. I can "hear" her...


And can't every relationship benefit from another way to be heard?

 


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10 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 5, 2014 at 9:11 PM

    Ha ha! Love it :) I can hear the words written, too!

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  2. JaimeMay 19, 2014 at 12:06 PM

    :) Loved it! I recently texted to my teenager to "shit the front door" instead of shut the front door. I swear, we have never laughed so hard in our entire life. Texting gets a bad rap.

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    1. normaleverydaylifeMay 19, 2014 at 4:35 PM

      I can see why you laughed over that! I think texting gets a bad rap, too. There are a lot of good uses for it and talking to teenagers is certainly one of them! :)

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  3. MeredithMay 19, 2014 at 1:58 PM

    This is so sweet actually. It's the world we live in now, that's for sure. :) Not there yet with my 3 little ones, but I know I will be one day.

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    1. normaleverydaylifeMay 19, 2014 at 4:35 PM

      I'm sure your kids will be texting soon. And by the time they're teenagers, there will probably be some new way to communicate! :)

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  4. AnonymousMay 19, 2014 at 3:41 PM

    I love this! I have two (much younger) daughters. I hope I have this sort of relationship with them when they are older.

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    1. normaleverydaylifeMay 19, 2014 at 4:42 PM

      Thanks! The teenage years are definitely full of ups and downs. I'm thankful that so far we've come out ahead on the good times! :)

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  5. UnknownMay 21, 2014 at 8:41 AM

    Brilliant. Never thought of it in this way. Most teenagers prefer to text than talk anyway, so it's worthwhile embracing the idea. I get that it is easier to write something than have to say it face to face and with a ticking time bomb teenager it's probably better to communicate this way.

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    1. normaleverydaylifeMay 21, 2014 at 9:11 AM

      Love that description: ticking time bomb teenager. It's true that I'd rather have them be reading my text when they blow rather than being face to face! :)

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  6. Animal Removal MissouriOctober 2, 2022 at 3:06 AM

    This was a lovely blog post

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