If you're a parent, you've had a moment-maybe many of them-when you've thought, "How did that conversation go so badly?" At some point after the sixth grade, the same kid who asked "why" non-stop at age four suddenly stops talking to you. And the conversations that you wish you could have-ones fuelled by your desire to see your kid not just safe and healthy, but passionately engaged-suddenly feel nearly impossible to execute. The good news is that effective communication can be cultivated, learned, and taught. And as you get better at this, so will your kids.