You have to be a dog when your kid is young, but your teen needs you to be a cat. Speaker: Dr. Aliza Pressman Source: Is There A 'Right' Way to Discipline & Reward Your Child? (Science-Backed Strategies) | Jay Shetty Podcast with Jay Shetty I love this analogy! Right now, I have young children, and this idea that we want to be a dog for them is so great! That is what they need, and we have such a profound positive impact on them with positivity and curiosity towards their life. Teenagers can be so difficult to communicate with at times, and I think this is some great advice on how to be present and prepared to connect while also acknowledging the teen's desire for anonymity. When we put the ball in our teen's court in terms of engaging conversation, we often have much better success. With your teenagers and young adult children, remember to be a cat! Share this with another parent who needs to hear it!