Listen To Your Child

Do you listen to your child? Listening is a major tool by which you can show your love for your child.Do you really listen to your child? Oh yes I do, you reply. But take a moment and think about it. You know who your childs best friend is, but do you know your childs favourite colour? While most parents have a rundown of a childs day at school during dinner, how many parents take time out to discuss a childs fears, apprehensions and doubts? Radha, who was in the 12th standard in high school, was feeling emotional as it was the last few days of school. Then one evening, just after her farewell, as she was studying a particular chapter, she burst into tears, as memories of school flooded back. Her father saw her crying and asked her what the matter was. When she said she was upset because she was leaving school, and that she would miss everyone there, her father, instead of sitting down to talk to her about it, just clicked his tongue, irritated, and told her to stop behaving in this ridiculous manner and get back to studies. Radha, now a mother of 2 children, remembers this incident to this day, and swears that she will never make light of her childrens feelings. In this articleDont make light of your childs feelingsBe patientImportance of ListeningDont make light of your childs feelings If your child is feeling bad after having fought with his best friend Aryan, do you just shrug it off and tell him, "It doesnt matter, you have many more friends"? Do you tell him that he will make up the next day with Aryan so to forget about it? Or do you sit down and discuss why your child is feeling hurt? What exactly did Aryan do or say to hurt him? Perhaps your child misunderstood? What does your child plan to do now? Will he apologise? Or will he wait for Aryan to apologise? Many parents make the mistake of ignoring their child when he is upset about something, thinking that he will grow out of it. Yes, your child will no doubt get over whatever happened to upset him, but if you discourage him talking about it, then your child will start feeling as though his feelings dont matter, and are of no importance. Be patient If your child is having difficulty expressing himself, dont interrupt and try to finish your childs sentence for them, and dont lose patience, let your mind wander or change the topic. Youre not doing a good job of listening. Heres what will happen if you dont listen to your child: Your child will not be able to express himself and his feelings clearly, and will be unable to communicate well. Not listening may also have the opposite effect, and your child may become extremely loud and boisterous, to capture his parents attention. Your child will, in all likelihood, have low-self esteem. Importance of Listening Listening is important because it is a major tool by which you can show your love for your child, and in turn, you will be able to teach your child the importance of listening to others. If you listen to your child, it will help him become a better communicator, and will help him express his feelings more clearly and articulately. If your child is tense or upset, all he may need is someone to listen to, to reduce his emotional anxiety. You will also get a better idea of your childs personality if you really listen to your child. So many parents dont know what their children are really like. And then they notice streaks of rebellion in their child, and wonder why. Did they say something to hurt their child? They dont know, and will not either because though their child told them, they never listened.