Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old

The prompt

“Is there something that feels like an invasion of privacy to you that we might not even notice we're doing?”

What to listen for

A specific answer here is valuable and vulnerable, it means they trust you enough to name something that's actually bothered them, rather than just resenting it silently. Thank them for saying it rather than immediately defending the habit.

If it's something small, like checking their phone over their shoulder or reading a text out loud, take it seriously even if it seems minor to you, small invasions add up to a big feeling of not being trusted.

If they hesitate or downplay it after saying it, that might mean they're worried about your reaction, reassure them with your tone that you're glad they told you, not annoyed.

What this tells you

Whatever they name shows you exactly where they feel their independence is being quietly undermined, and fixing it is a direct way to show their trust in you was worth it.