Taking an Active Interest in Your Child
At times, communicating with our children may be a challenging endeavor to undertake. We get the impression that they are not listening to us, and they have the impression that we are not listening to them. Parenting success is dependent on the ability to listen to and communicate effectively with the children. Feelings, viewpoints, and thoughts expressed by your kids are valuable, and you should ensure that you take the time to sit down with them, listen freely, and address them honestly.
It seems to be a natural propensity to react rather than respond when faced with a situation. We cast judgment on others based on our own sentiments and personal experiences. Responding, on the other hand, means being attentive to our child's thoughts and emotions and enabling them to express themselves freely and honestly without fear of repercussions from us or other adults. By responding, we are sending the message to our child that their emotions and ideas are unimportant. However, by reacting to the child's sentiments and asking questions about why they are feeling that way, you start a dialogue that enables them to share their feelings in more depth and gives you a better understanding of where they are coming from. Responding also provides you with a chance to collaborate with your kid on a solution or a plan of action that they may not have come up with on their own. Your youngster will also appreciate the knowledge that you may, in fact, understand what they are going through.
At this time, it is critical that you offer your kid your whole and undivided attention. Put down your newspaper, put down your dishes, or turn off the television so that you can hear the whole issue and establish eye contact with your kid, if necessary. Maintain your composure and inquisitiveness, and then give prospective answers to the situation.
Don't tell your youngster that he or she shouldn't feel unhappy, angry, or irritated. Our first inclination may be to say or do anything to dissuade our kids from engaging in the activity, but this may be a counterproductive strategy. Again, pay attention to your kid, inquire as to why they are feeling that way, and then provide viable ways to ease the negative feelings that they are experiencing.
Our children have sentiments and go through challenging circumstances in the same way that we do. By actively listening and interacting with our kids while they speak about it, we communicate to them that we do care, that we want to assist, and that we have comparable experiences of our own from which they may take inspiration and support from us. Keep in mind that you should respond rather than react.