Cheska Garcia Pokes Fun At Tweens Ignoring Mom's Texts But Won't Stop When In Need

Sisters in law Cheska Kramer and Nikka Garcia exchanged Instagram stories comparing how their daughters communicate with them via messaging apps. They point out that when they ask something from their daughters, it takes a while before they receive a reply. But when the tables are turned, the kids don’t hold back on following up with their moms. 

Cheska Kramer reposted an Instagram post from @raisingteenstoday that said, “I’ll text my kids and they won’t respond for 3 hours. But if they text me and I don’t respond in 3 minutes I get... Mom, Momm, Mommmm?? Mommmmm????? Where are you? Why are you ignoring me? MOOOMMMMMM???? HELLOOO??? MOOOMMMMMM?” 

She tagged daughters Kendra and Scarlett in her Instagram story posts. Cheska also shares a screenshot of her chat with Scarlett that showed just how much her second child kept following up on her request, sending messages and also calling her mom after each message. 

Nikka Garcia, mom of four and wife of Cheska’s brother Patrick, posted a screenshot of her eldest daughter’s chat with her. It shows Michelle sending 18 messages one after the other and in between two unanswered video calls. “Same same” Nikka captioned her Instagram story after tagging Cheska. 

3 reminders for effective communication with your tweens and teens 

Looks like tweens still need their parents, no matter how much they assert their independence. Child Mind Institute says it is true until a child’s teen years. The site frames it this way: the teenage years and terrible twos have a lot in common: a child learns to assert independence, learn exciting new things, and push boundaries. The only difference is teen children can make decisions with real-life consequences. 

But even if teen and tween kids sometimes sound like they do not want guidance or help, parents need to remember that they are still very much needed by their kids. Just in a different way from when they were toddlers or young kids. 

Here are a few things to remember about communicating effectively with your teen or tween child: 

1. Listen. 

“If you are curious about what’s going on in your teen’s life, asking direct questions might not be as effective as simply sitting back and listening. Kids are more likely to be open with their parents if they don’t feel pressured to share information,” writes Rachel Emke for Child Mind Institute. 

Be open, and interested, but do not pry. 

2. Don’t fix the problem. 

Parents are always ready to help their kids but teenaged children may not respond well to this. If they do come to you with a problem, validate their emotions instead and show them you empathize. Here’s an example, “That sounds really difficult”.  

Avoid downplaying their emotions with statements that compare your growing up years like, “You think that’s hard? When I was your age, I was already dealing with this.” It will come across as dismissive and will feel unempathetic. 

3. Share regular meals together. 

“Sitting down to eat a meal together as a family is another great way to stay close,” advises Child Mind Institute. “Dinner conversations give every member of the family a chance to check in and talk casually about sports or television or politics.” 

When children feel comfortable talking to their parents about every day things, they are more likely to talk to them about difficult things. 

Make sure to enforce this rule: No phones allowed. 

Team Kramer shared their family date. Cheska wrote in her caption: “I always look forward to the weekends because I get to have my kids undivided time. No school, no homeworks, no activities, just time with Mama and Papa. 
 
She adds, “Tonight we decided to take our kids on a dinner date. Just catching up on our long week and how things are with all of us.” 

Try Team Kramer’s family date nights on weekends and remember that if budget is a concern, you can create your own version like cooking a new dish and enjoying it at home. You can still dress up even if you’re staying in! 

Another family bonding idea with your growing kids from the Kramers? Family movie nights. 

 

 

If you want to read more about dating your kids, check out this article.