Parents often believe that they have a good relationship(關(guān)系)with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changed in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (蜷伏) with me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of
Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break(休息), for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.
小題1:“The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son ______.
A.is always busy with his studies | B.doesn’t want to be disturbed |
C.keeps himself away from his parents | D.begins to dislike his parents |
小題2: What troubles Tina and Mark most is that _____.
their daughter isn’t as lovely as before
they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly
they don’t know what to say to their daughter
their daughter talks with them only when she needs help
小題3: Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?
A. Teenagers talk a lot with their friends |
B. Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. |
C. Teenagers do not talk much with their parents |
D. Teenagers talk little about their own lives |
小題4:What can be learned from the passage?
A. Parents are unhappy with their growing children.
Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers
C. Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers.
D. Parents should try to understand their teenagers.