Relationship Repair: Six Ways to Rebuild Connection with Kids and Teens

By Alissa Marquess Zorn on April 29, 2020 (updated August 13, 2020)

Stress can take a serious toll on our relationships. We can get into a painful cycle of rupture and reaction that feels impossible to get out of. Is repair even possible at this point? YES. Best selling author Rachel Macy Stafford tells us how. This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated on qualifying purchases.

Six Ways to Rebuild Connection with Kids and Teens

By Rachel Macy Stafford

Inevitably, life gets unstable at times. We can be going along just fine, and then out of the blue, we’re thrown off kilter. Suddenly, everything we thought we knew feels shaky and uncertain.

The current situation we find ourselves in today due to the pandemic feels similar to a tumultuous spring my family experienced three years ago. The unexpected loss of a parent and grandfather, teenage hormonal changes, friendship turmoil, academic adjustments, and a devastating medical diagnosis contributed to an unstable environment and emotional challenges that threatened to put my reactive mode into overdrive. To keep from contributing additional stress to our already overloaded situation, I decided to observe my feelings without reacting and to practice being aware and honest with myself. My choice to be an observer vs. a reactor during that difficult season life helped me make several incredible breakthroughs.

I realized:

Anxiety in the people I love makes me want to control.

Sassiness in the people I love makes me want to get defensive.

Pain in the people I love makes me want to rescue.

Silence in the people I love makes me want to lash out.

Those kinds of responses from me are not helpful or healing; in fact, they only add to the chaos by creating disconnection and distrust. What is helpful and healing is to provide what is lacking in the situation: stability.

When a loved one is in distress, we are called to be steady—to respond consistently and calmly with love, understanding, and compassion, regardless of what is coming at us.

But what if considerable damage to our relationship has already been done? What if we have overreacted to the point that there is only tension and disrespect? What if the gap feels too wide to overcome?

Using feedback I’ve received from young people through something I call The Index Card Exercise, as well as a decade of experience teaching young people with behavioral and emotional issues, I am here to tell you there is hope. With small steps, a bit of self-awareness, and healthy dose of compassion, relationship repair can happen today.

Here are six keys for rebuilding connection when love’s been lost. You can find these strategies, as well as helpful scripts, and practical tools in my newly released bestseller, LIVE LOVE NOW.

Establish new boundaries

Might sound like this: “I’ve been allowing you to speak to me disrespectfully. This is not okay. I am worthy of kindness and respect. From now on, I will respond to you if you are speaking in a normal, considerate tone. If you need my help, you will need to ask kindly. I will no longer respond to yelling or disrespectful language or tone. You may see me taking more silent pauses. That is because I will not engage in yelling, pleading, or bargaining with you. My goal is to take pause and choose calm.”

A similar dialogue could be an apology from you: “I realize I have been speaking to you disrespectfully. This is not okay, and I am truly sorry. You are worthy of kindness and respect. I want to make things right. From this point on, I’m going to try to speak to you in a normal, respectful tone. Please let me know when I’m not.” (See strategy #2)

Use a distress signal to create awareness

Might sound like this: “If you start raising your voice, being critical, sarcastic, or hurtful, I will place my hand on heart. This signal means you need to think about your tone or your words and make an adjustment. If you can’t do that right then, you will need to go to another room. You may also give me the same signal if I am raising my voice or being critical to you.”

Treat your children as you wish to be treated

Respect is not simply given, it is earned by extending it to others, modeling it, and living it. Frequently assess your communication skills with self-examination questions like:

“Am I speaking in a way I’d like to be spoken to?”

“Am I listening as much as I speak?”

“Does my child seem more relaxed or more agitated after spending time with me?”

“If I made this same mistake, how would I want someone to respond to me in my moment of shame?”

Use self-affirming statements

Changing your inner voice from critical to encouraging will impact your outer voice, making positive change in your home more likely. Post self-affirming statements in visible places around the house – on the fridge, by the door, on the mirrors, in the closet. They might sound like:

“I am worthy of respect and kindness.”

“My voice matters and deserves to be heard.”

“I am worthy of love.”

“I am not a doormat. I have a right to stand up for myself.”

Say them. Repeat them. Believe them. Not only will they help you, but they may also become go-to phrases for your kids that drive positive change, build confidence, and set loving boundaries on communication.

If it looks like a bad time to talk, it probably is

If your loved one appears sullen and angry, avoid pushing him or her into talking. Forcing discussion at that moment will likely escalate the situation and create more conflict. Remember, not everything has to be handled at that moment; most things can wait. A momentary pause can mean the difference between shutting down conversation or opening it up.

Might sound like: “I see you are upset right now. I’ll give you some time to chill out and think. In an hour, we’ll go for a walk (or shoot baskets, or make brownies, or play cards) and at that time, we can talk about it.”

Be generous with grace

When people are outwardly combative, there is a good chance they’re feeling down about themselves or their situation. Pushing your agenda, your opinion, or your demands on them at that time will feel like added pressure. It may also cause your loved one to feel unheard and alone. On the other hand, compassion and understanding can feel like support, like you are on their team and by their side. It might sound like this:

“It looks like you have a lot on your shoulders right now. Can I help?”

“Friendships can be really tough, can’t they?”

“Your teachers are expecting a lot from you.”

“I can tell you’re disappointed. I’m really sorry.”

“You must be exhausted. You’re handling a lot.”

It takes nothing away from you to extend grace when your child is hurting – and it could mean everything to your relationship.

By changing the way you respond to the young people in your life, you can positively shape their responses to you, as well as themselves. Although this is not easy to be ‘peace in the chaos,’ the results of that choice are immeasurable. Not only are you able to close gaps that once seemed insurmountable, but you become the most loving, compassionate, and peace-filled version of you!

Rachel Macy Stafford is a NYT bestselling author and founder of handsfreemama.com. In her newest book, LIVE LOVE NOW, Rachel does what she does best: she lovingly encourages, guides, and challenges us to be better than we’ve been. Through honest storytelling and small steps, Rachel shows us that simple changes yield positive results. LIVE LOVE NOW equips 21st century parents with tools for 21st century parenting that have the power to transform your home and heart into a healthier, happier place. Join Rachel at The Hands Free Revolution for more inspiration and encouragement.