When your teen asks for help, she wants your advice, but that doesn't necessarily mean she will take it. Getting discouraged and telling her something like, "Fine! Do what you want then!" won't help the situation.
When your teenager comes to you and asks for your advice, don’t dismiss her if she appears as if she’s not listening to you. She came to you for a reason. She wants your thoughts even if it looks like she doesn’t. Give her your opinions and strategize her options with her. Talk about the consequences of each option. Then let her make her own decision.
But don’t dismiss her in frustration if it looks like she’s not listening. She heard you. And your thoughts will stick with her even if it doesn’t look like it. Dismissing her in frustration will ensure she doesn’t listen to what you said. And next time she needs advice, she'll go elsewhere to find it. And if something goes wrong with this particular situation, she's not coming to you for support or to help her solve her problem. So stay calm and trust that she’ll do the right thing.
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