Parenting Children - September 14, 2012

Day 31 - The Power of Listening - Part II

Show an interest

• involves effort and generosity
• listen to what appeals to your child(ren)

Avoid shutting them down

• value their ideas
• allow them to express negative feelings such as disappointments, embarrassments, sadness, anxiety, and anger.

Reflect back

• repeat back to your child what you think he or she is saying
• reflect back to your child some of his or her words, but not in parrot fashion, as that can be annoying
• concentrate on reflecting back the feelings you think your child is trying to express, e.g. it sounds like you feel upset or frustrated or sad?
• reflective listening will help your child(ren) to frame their own feelings

Question:
Complete the attached worksheet.

Related Topics: Children, Family, Listening | More Messages from Parenting Children | Download Audio

From Series: "Parenting Children Ages 0-10"

Study Guide

More From "Parenting Children Ages 0-10"

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  • for children, love is spelled T.I.M.E.
  • children need quantity time as well as quality time
  • significance of first eighteen months of a child’s life
  • who will be our child’s main caregiver?
  • can be hard to work out balance of parenting and employment
    • working at home/from home
    • full-time/part-time
  • the time we spend with our children is more powerful in communicating our love than anything we say
  • we need to prioritize our time
    • learning when to said “yes” to our children and “no” to other people and things
    • the only place we are indispensable is at home
  • we need to plan our time
    • time with the people who are most precious to us doesn’t just happen
    • if married, plan marriage time” each week
    • as a parent, plan “family time” each week
    • plan some one-to-one time with each child (we will look at this in detail in Session 2 Part 2)
  • we need to protect our time from
    • the TV
    • the telephone
    • other people
    • our work

What demands on your time stop you from spending time with your children?

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