Secret Parent Mission: Talk Less, Listen More

Secret Parent Mission · Just for this weekend

Happy weekend, everyone!

This week's Secret Parent Mission is to talk less and listen more.

It's just for a weekend 😉

Listening Isn't as Easy as It Sounds 👂

It's often uncomfortable to really hear somebody else's point of view. Especially if it's your child, and they're right, and you happen to be wrong. It could happen, you know! Ha ha.

I actually think it's good to say you got things wrong sometimes as a parent.

Listening carefully is how you find out what's going on in your child's life. And it builds connection and respect between you.

A Story From My School Days

In many of my roles in education, I carried a walkie-talkie, and I'd run to a behaviour situation and find an angry child.

The first thing I would do was sit down. Even if that meant sitting cross-legged on the floor.

I'd listen to their side first. And maybe, just maybe, once it was all out in the open, they would listen to me.

Listening is always my first step in solving problems.

Your Mission 💛

If we want our children to be good listeners, we need to show them what listening looks like.

1. Get down to their level.
2. Make eye contact.
3. Put your phone away, and turn the TV off.
4. Ask about what interests them, with open questions. Who? What? Where? When? Why?
5. Check your body language. Do you look like someone who's ready to listen?
6. Remember how it feels when someone really listens to you. Could you give that gift to your child?
7. Keep the focus on them. It's very easy for the conversation to shift to you and your point of view.

Report Back! 🕵️

I'd love to hear what you learnt about your child this weekend that you didn't already know.

Will you take the mission?

Remember, it's top secret! 🤫

💛 Want more support at home? Book a Free Discovery Call and let's talk it through together: https://www.thepottyqueen.me/free-call

With love, Principal Lisa x