Crammed weekday schedules and less downtime than ever create real challenges for family members to connect with each other. We’re often unable to find the time to sit still long enough to talk to our kids. And when we try to approach them, it frequently turns into an argument that leaves us (and them) thinking “I can’t believe we’re fighting about this again!” When real connections between parents and adolescents are rare, and voice mail and rushed comments are all that’s left of communication, everyone misses out. Getting the communication tools we need and learning to use them is essential to the health and well-being of our families.

Are You Listening? is a highly interactive 2-hour educational workshop for parents and teens. The workshop can help you improve the way your family communicates. It includes: group games, brainstorming, paired activities, personal reflection and plenty of opportunity for Q & A with Annie.

Are you Listening? is a much-needed opportunity for parents and their middle and high school age sons and daughters to:

• Understand the basic elements of and barriers to effective communication
• Understand the importance of mutual trust, respect, and conscious choice-making in a healthy parent-teen relationship
• Acknowledge the role stress plays in family interactions
• Improve stress management skills so everyone can communicate more effectively
• Practice the art of active listening
• Share new perspectives on each other’s lives
• Explore the benefits of family meetings