Teach your child good listening habits
You are quite exhausted after a day’s work. Your five-year-old son comes back from school and begins pouring several stories to you. “Mummy, today the teacher took us out to play and we learnt a song,†“Mummy, I bought biscuit at break time.†<br>
You are quite exhausted after a day’s work. Your five-year-old son comes back from school and begins pouring several stories to you. “Mummy, today the teacher took us out to play and we learnt a song,†“Mummy, I bought biscuit at break time.â€
The stories lack logical connection and are endless. You might not have the patience and concentration needed to listen to these unconnected series of stories. But do you simply blurt out ‘give me a break baby’ to keep the child out of your way? You are faced by a test of parenthood.
Handling a nagging child can be quite stressful and at times you are tempted to show the child that you do not want to be ‘disturbed.’
Children have a hundred and one stories. Some of which do not make sense to adults, yet they need a listening ear.
In a fast- paced society, parents might be too busy to give a listening ear to children’s stories. Did you know that listening to your child’s stories offers you an opportunity to train your child the value of listening? There are several people who do not know how to listen; yet listening is an essential tool of communication. Your home is the first school where the child can learn communication skills.
Why is listening so important in your communication with your child?
lListening trains your child to value other points of view and respect people who hold them. Did you know that your child would only learn to listen to you if you spare time to listen to him/her?
It is illogical and poor child training for you rubbish what a child says and expect him/her to listen and value what you say in return.
If you feel that your child never listens to what you say, it might be that you too never listen to what the child says.
lListening encourages the child to think and talk about problems than running away from them. Your child will learn that both positive and negative feelings can be shared.
How do you listen to your child effectively?
lDo not dismiss what the child says using statements like, “ You do not know what you are talking about†“Baby, I am too tired, just give me a break.†Use statements like, “That’s interesting, please tell me more about that,’ to elicit more information from the child.
lSome of your child’s questions and stories are loaded with deep feelings. Your five-year-old daughter might plead with you to see how well she has cleared food from her plate when she means something else. Embedded in that request might be a desire to share pride and a thirst for compliments.
Meet the child at the point of his/her emotional need.
lListening to a child involves more than just nodding your head in approval. At times it is necessary to prod gently to uncover the feelings behind the words. As the child explains the problem, resist the temptation of providing solutions or telling him/her what to do. Simply listen.
Did you know that most of us do more talking to our children than listening? Your attentive ears would help the child express him/herself and learn how to handle negative feelings positively. There are children who keep negative and positive feelings to themselves because their parents won’t listen to them.
Every body loves and desires to be listened to. Your child will also trust you with his/her feelings. This trust is the basis of intimate parent-child relationship on which the development of child character depends. Please listen.
Till next week, just listen to your child.
jamesawagwau@yahoo.com
077631032
The stories lack logical connection and are endless. You might not have the patience and concentration needed to listen to these unconnected series of stories. But do you simply blurt out ‘give me a break baby’ to keep the child out of your way? You are faced by a test of parenthood.
Handling a nagging child can be quite stressful and at times you are tempted to show the child that you do not want to be ‘disturbed.’
Children have a hundred and one stories. Some of which do not make sense to adults, yet they need a listening ear.
In a fast- paced society, parents might be too busy to give a listening ear to children’s stories. Did you know that listening to your child’s stories offers you an opportunity to train your child the value of listening? There are several people who do not know how to listen; yet listening is an essential tool of communication. Your home is the first school where the child can learn communication skills.
Why is listening so important in your communication with your child?
lListening trains your child to value other points of view and respect people who hold them. Did you know that your child would only learn to listen to you if you spare time to listen to him/her?
It is illogical and poor child training for you rubbish what a child says and expect him/her to listen and value what you say in return.
If you feel that your child never listens to what you say, it might be that you too never listen to what the child says.
lListening encourages the child to think and talk about problems than running away from them. Your child will learn that both positive and negative feelings can be shared.
How do you listen to your child effectively?
lDo not dismiss what the child says using statements like, “ You do not know what you are talking about†“Baby, I am too tired, just give me a break.†Use statements like, “That’s interesting, please tell me more about that,’ to elicit more information from the child.
lSome of your child’s questions and stories are loaded with deep feelings. Your five-year-old daughter might plead with you to see how well she has cleared food from her plate when she means something else. Embedded in that request might be a desire to share pride and a thirst for compliments.
Meet the child at the point of his/her emotional need.
lListening to a child involves more than just nodding your head in approval. At times it is necessary to prod gently to uncover the feelings behind the words. As the child explains the problem, resist the temptation of providing solutions or telling him/her what to do. Simply listen.
Did you know that most of us do more talking to our children than listening? Your attentive ears would help the child express him/herself and learn how to handle negative feelings positively. There are children who keep negative and positive feelings to themselves because their parents won’t listen to them.
Every body loves and desires to be listened to. Your child will also trust you with his/her feelings. This trust is the basis of intimate parent-child relationship on which the development of child character depends. Please listen.
Till next week, just listen to your child.
jamesawagwau@yahoo.com
077631032