Then if parent-child communication is broken, a teenager may turn to his peers for emotional nurture. The principle remains the same using either illustration. By communicating unconditional love we build reserves to draw from later. Before any of us opens a bank account, the bank personnel offer clear instructions on how to avoid overdrawing the account. We need that same instruction concerning loving communication with our children.
Poor communication causes unnecessary withdrawals.
Over time the relationship becomes depleted, resulting in an overdrawn account. Amy's parents brought her to talk to us. In the first thirty seconds we established the fact that she was unhappy. She had quit trying at school. Once an honor student, she was flunking all of her courses.