RoyPetitfils

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About RoyPetitfils

Roy Petitfils is a licensed counselor, award-winning author, speaker and internationally recognized expert in understanding and raising teenagers. You can find him giving TedTalks about communication with teens and on his podcast Today's Teenager.

What to Say and Do When Teens Don’t Believe in God

Listen to The Podcast   When teens say: “I’m an atheist” “I don’t believe in God.” “I’m agnostic.” Adults think: “I’ve failed. Its my job to make my (this) kid believe in God. ” “I may not be in heaven with my son.” “I thought we raised her [...]

By |2016-01-05T16:14:17+00:00January 5th, 2016|Blog, parenting|4 Comments

Questions Every Parent Should Ask

There are two parallel tracks of parenting. The Experiential Track: our experience of raising our children and help them to grow into happy, healthy and holy adults. The Wisdom Track:  reflecting on our experience of parenting, the good, bad and ugly. Because it's not urgent, most of us neglect the [...]

By |2015-12-29T15:43:25+00:00December 29th, 2015|parenting|Comments Off on Questions Every Parent Should Ask

Small Shifts that Will Dramatically Improve Communication with Your Teen

Every year Oxford Dictionary issues a “word of the year.” It’s no surprise that this year, its not a word. It’s an emoji. We have become a visual people. This is especially true for teens. A few weeks ago, I suggested speaking 50% less when talking to your teen. But what [...]

By |2015-12-09T15:03:23+00:00December 9th, 2015|Education, parenting|Comments Off on Small Shifts that Will Dramatically Improve Communication with Your Teen

5 Unconventional Tips for Soothing Anxiety in Teens

It takes a "village" to raise a child. It always has. And it always will. I grew up in a village. Chances are, you did too. But, your kids are not. The old village was an imperfect but real physical community made up of relatives, friends and neighbors who would [...]

By |2015-12-02T14:55:47+00:00December 2nd, 2015|Education, parenting|Comments Off on 5 Unconventional Tips for Soothing Anxiety in Teens

Hope for Discouraged Parents

I always thought that Henry Ford’s first car was the Model T. I was wrong.   The first automobile was the “quadricycle”—its name reflective of its four large bicycle-like tires  At 2 a.m. on the morning of June 4, 1896, in a rented coal shed behind his Bagley Avenue home [...]

By |2015-11-24T12:14:42+00:00November 24th, 2015|Blog, parenting|Comments Off on Hope for Discouraged Parents

How to Speak Less and Say More to Teens

Do you ever see your teens eyes glaze over while you’re talking to them? This usually happens when we're talking too much. Most parents say 50% more than necessary when talking to their teen. If you’re particularly verbose (like me!) you may even say 70% more than necessary. In today's virtual world, teens are listening [...]

By |2015-11-19T15:45:37+00:00November 19th, 2015|Blog, parenting|Comments Off on How to Speak Less and Say More to Teens

How to Get More Respect from Your Teen

I get emails from parents every week asking me “Roy, how do I get my teen to show me more respect?” I suspect it’s a question all of us ask. Here are three actions you can take to get your teen to show you more respect. Define Respect Too often [...]

By |2015-11-17T14:16:47+00:00November 17th, 2015|parenting, Video|Comments Off on How to Get More Respect from Your Teen

The Power in Vulnerability

Perfection is Unattractive I know this sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who seemed as if they were too “perfect.” Chances are you didn’t resonate with them. When we’re around “perfect” people, we can feel suffocated. Its because at a deep level [...]

By |2015-10-09T00:52:09+00:00October 9th, 2015|Blog|Comments Off on The Power in Vulnerability
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