When my son was a teenager, he would use the 'poker face' tactic when I was lecturing, nagging, or suggesting. As a parent, it was maddening because I could not read his reactions! His stoicism would sometimes deflate my efforts or make me surrender in laughter, changing the subject all together.
In "The Art of Body Language," Susan C. Young discusses the challenges parents face when trying to communicate with their teenage children, using the author's experience with her son as an example. During moments of lecturing or suggesting, her son would adopt a 'poker face' that left her unable to gauge his feelings or reactions. This response tested her patience and often led to frustration as she struggled to connect through...