There are years in most teenagers’ lives when verbal communication almost entirely shuts down. You can text your children but if you are in a period when “fine”, “o.k.”, “do I have to”, and “Mr. Collins is an idiot” us all the verbal communication you share, try breaking out a jigsaw puzzle. Do not suggest that your teenager help you. Don’t try to make eye contact. You will be surprised how often these creatures whose main goal in life is to cause chaos will follow their natural human instict to find a few pieces. They may ever sit down for a while and share short conversations. Once they are comfortable you might be able to bring up, tattoos, smoking, all kinds of stuff.