Things I've Discovered

When you ask a child (particularly a preteen or a teenager) what's going on,and they respond with "Nothing," it can mean any one of three things. First, and easiest to deal with, is "nothing" that is really nothing. You don't need to do anything with that. Next, and more challenging is nothing" that says, "something's wrong but I don't want to talk about it." This kind of "nothing" requires patience to wait until he's ready to talk about it. If the child is a girl, it won't take long. If he's a boy, you may have to be REALLY patient! They will tell you in their own time, if you let them know you're available. The third kind of "nothing" is the most challenging. It's the "nothing" that you'd better find out about FAST! usually tell my kids "You'd better tell me about it before I find out about it!" This pronouncement is delivered in a stern voice with a "MOMMY LOOK" !!!!! It's usually effective. The best resopnse to "Nothing" is "What kind of nothing?"