As the parent of a teenager, you may remember the days when you could hold your child on your lap and they would not stop talking! Those days may be long gone, but you can still find ways to get your teenager to talk and really start to connect.

Many parents find it difficult to communicate with their teenagers. Snooping and spying on them is not communication! An open, trusted relationship is the best way to keep your teenagers out of danger.

Here are a few tips you can try to build open communication with your teens:

1. Start young. Build a good relationship with your children when they are young. You may find them trying to pull away once they hit a certain age, but just keep at it.

2. Find common ground. To get your teen to talk, first find out what your teenager is interested in. Find out what music they listen to, what concerts they would like to go, what sports team they support. That way, you can ask your child about a band's new album rather than the same old "how was school?"

3. Be open to what they say. Often people dismiss a teenager's opinion without even listening to why and where it originated. Do not be judgemental, just listen. If they feel you are going to listen when they talk, they'll be more likely to come to you if they have a problem.

4. Spend more together. Spending time with somebody shows them that you are interested in them and you are willing to invest in them. Set up a specific time every week to spend time with your teen. You may not want to, but if you want to have open communication, spending time with them is one vital action you need to take. Do something they would like to do, go to a concert, go shopping, bring them to see a football match or a car show.

5. Do not tell their stories! Have you ever overheard a parent loudly laughing about what their child just told them? If you want your teenager to openly talk with you, do not laugh with your friends about what they just said. This will make them reluctant to tell you anything