What finally made my son open up

I was trying so hard to fix my son, I almost lost him.

I wanted him to succeed in school.
I wanted him to shine in his sport.
I wanted him to have a solid group of friends.

When those things weren’t happening, I panicked.
I tried to fix him.
The more I tried, the more he pulled away.

That’s when it hit me: I was the most influential person in his life.
And what he needed wasn’t fixing—it was me showing up differently.

He needed:

• A good listener — someone who could hear “I bombed my math test” without saying, “Well, maybe if you got off YouTube you’d have time to study.”

• Compassion — when he said, “I’m not good at anything,” not me saying, “That’s not true! You’re good at lots of things.”

• Understanding — noticing his “bad attitude” was really anxiety, not disrespect.

• Belief — to know I had faith in him even when he couldn’t find it in himself.

• Safety — to say “I think I’m failing chemistry” without worrying he’d disappoint me or that I’d freak out.

When I made that shift, everything changed.

✅ Arguments subsided
✅ Communication opened up
✅ He shared what was really going on inside
✅ We worked through issues together

I became his go-to person.

And the best part? His confidence grew—and I felt close to him again.

Just like punishments don’t create cooperation, trying to fix our kids only creates distance.

Understanding builds connection.

If you’re ready to feel this shift in your own home, click here and let’s talk.

🧡 Jeanine