Tonight with your 13 to 17 year old
The prompt
“What's the best way for us to give you feedback so it doesn't feel like we're just attacking you?”
What to listen for
A specific answer, like leading with something positive first, or just being direct instead of hinting, is genuinely useful information, and taking it seriously shows them their input actually shapes how you treat them.
If they mention needing space before or after feedback, that's a real boundary worth respecting, not something to push past because you're eager to talk it through.
If they say they don't know, you can offer a couple of options and let them react, since sometimes it's easier to recognize the right approach than to invent it from scratch.
What this tells you
How they want feedback delivered shows how much they need to feel respected as a whole person, not just corrected as a behavior.