Sometimes as parents (especially of those tweens and teens) we try so hard to keep the conversation going that we forget that a lot of communication can happen in silence. So try this...next time your child starts talking, just listen. Don't steer or correct or direct. Just listen. It doesn't matter if there aren't words. Silence is golden. And that time spent together is precious because in the blink of an eye..it's gone. So sit in companionable silence, each thinking your own thoughts. Just share the space. Then, when it comes time to listen to words, you will have practiced that silent stuff. That listening stuff. It's all good. Is it hard for you to listen? Let me know your strategies for being in the moment with your kids.
Those nifty little buttons on Facebook always make me think. I decided to use them as a springboard for parenting tidbits for families, including those formed by adoption.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
If You Don't Understand My Silence, You Won't Understand My Words
Sometimes as parents (especially of those tweens and teens) we try so hard to keep the conversation going that we forget that a lot of communication can happen in silence. So try this...next time your child starts talking, just listen. Don't steer or correct or direct. Just listen. It doesn't matter if there aren't words. Silence is golden. And that time spent together is precious because in the blink of an eye..it's gone. So sit in companionable silence, each thinking your own thoughts. Just share the space. Then, when it comes time to listen to words, you will have practiced that silent stuff. That listening stuff. It's all good. Is it hard for you to listen? Let me know your strategies for being in the moment with your kids.
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