In their own way, they may still be crying-only now, the tears are inside. Nonverbal signals such as attention-getting behaviors and extreme or inconsistent conduct are basically cries from behind the wall. Other times the cry is masked in apparently idle talk. This mother may have missed an important opportunity with her son. When a child tells you about 'my friend's problem,' there is a possibility that your child is struggling with a similar one.
Young people drop hints to test our reactions.
If we are hasty, harsh, and judgmental, our children may not want to open up any further. We must look over the wall and hear the cry. When working with a child who has built a wall around himself, we must find the loose brick-the one interest, dream, or ability that will let us penetrate the wall. A brick may be motorcycles, sports, food, computers, horses, guitars, skateboards, or even journal writing. One young man from New York attended a youth program at Brigham Young University.