Adapt to your child’s timetable. Do so even if that means late-night conversations.

“You might feel like saying, ‘Now you want to talk? I was with you all day!’ But how can we complain if our children want to open up to us? Isn’t that what every parent hopes for?”​—Lisa.

“I like my sleep, but some of the best conversations I’ve had with my teenagers have been after midnight.”​—Herbert.

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.”​—1 Corinthians 10:24.

Take advantage of informal settings. Sometimes children open up when they are not sitting face-to-face with a parent.

“We take advantage of car rides. Being side-by-side rather than across from each other has led to good discussions.”​—Nicole.

Mealtime presents another opportunity for informal conversation.

“At dinnertime each of us relates the worst thing and the best thing that happened that day. This practice unites us and lets each of us know that we don’t have to face problems alone.”​—Robin.

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Be quick to listen [and] slow to speak.”​—James 1:19.