User talk:Parentingskill

Are You Actively Listening To Your Child?

Some times we tend to feel difficulty in communicating with our children. We have a feeling that our children are not listening to us, in the same way our children too feel that we are not listening to them. It is difficult to be an ideal parent. For being a successful parent we need to have effective communication. Listening skill is a part of effective communication. It is wise to give importance to the opinions, views of your children. Make enough room to share their thoughts with you.

It seems to be a normal tendency to react rather than to respond. We pass judgment based on our own approach and experiences. However, responding means being receptive to our child's feelings and sentiments and allowing them to express themselves openly and honestly without fear of repercussion from us. By reacting, we send our child the message that their feelings and opinions are invalid. But by responding and asking questions about why the child feels that way, it opens a dialog that allows them to discuss their feelings further, and allows you a better understanding of where they're coming from. Responding also gives you an opportunity to work out a solution or a plan of action with your child that perhaps they would not have come up with on their own. Your child will also appreciate the fact that maybe you do indeed understand how they feel.

It's critical in these situations to give your child your full and unbroken attention. Put down your newspaper, stop cooking, or turn off the television so you can hear the full situation and make eye contact with your child. Keep calm, be curious, and afterwards offer potential solutions to the problem.

Don't dishearten your child from feeling upset, angry, or irritated. Our initial instinct may be to say or do something to steer our child away from it, but this can be a detrimental tactic. Again, pay attention to your child, ask questions to find out why they are feeling that way, and then offer possible solutions to alleviate the bad feeling.

Just as we do, our children have feelings and practice difficult situations. By keenly listening and contributing with our children as they talk about it, it expresses to them that we do care, we want to help and we have similar experiences of our own that they can draw from. Remember, respond - don't react.http://www.parenting-skill.com