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All summer they were around — at dinner, in the car, saying yes to things. Then the door started closing a little harder than it needed to. One-word answers. Everything you ask lands like too much. You didn't lose your kid. But you can feel the distance, and you're not sure how to cross it.
In this episode:
Why a withdrawn teen is usually running on a nervous system that's already on edge — and why you have to be the calm one
Why a story that's handed to you is always richer than one you have to grab at
How to read your teen's cues so the offer actually lands (including the accessibility test that makes an invitation pull)
A ladder of moves for reaching them, the traps that backfire, and what to do when they still won't open up
The way back in is almost never the big conversation. It's the small, low-pressure, no-agenda moment, offered again and again.