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Support > Positive Parenting
> Parent Tip of the Week
Parent Tip of the Week: Listening Skills
You can encourage your child to talk with you by being a good listener. Develop good
communication early, and your children will be more likely to talk with you and confide
in you as they get older. To practice good listening skills, we suggest that you:
- Give your child your full attention. Try to forget about all other distractions
around you (cellphones, TV etc.). Look at your child.
- Encourage your child to talk. For instance, if you notice that your child comes
home from school looking sad or distressed, invite him or her to tell you about the
schoolday.
- Let your child take his or her time when talking.
- Listen to nonverbal messages: the tone of your child’s voice, posture and facial
expressions.
- Show your child or adolescent that you are indeed listening and that you want to
understand him or her. Restate what he or she has said in another way.
- Keep the conversation going by asking open-ended questions as much as possible.
- Make sure you understand what your child says. If you are not sure, clarify by
saying, “Let me make sure that I have this right,” and then restating what you
think the child has said.
- Let your child know that you understand how he or she feels.
Putting these skills into practice takes time, but once you’ve gotten the basic idea, you’ll
find that you’ll be communicating more effectively with your children, friends and
family!
Have a tip you want to share? E-mail Frances Platt at
PlattF@mhawestchester.org
with your Parent Tip of the Week!
This content was adapted by MHA from http://school.familyeducation.com,
an informational web site for
parents, and also from http://www.taft.cc.ca.us/lrc/class/assignments/actlisten.html,
a learning aid used at Taft
College, in Taft, CA.
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