Hey Guys I am Donna, and welcome to my parenting blog. Active listening is an important part of being a parent, which you have probably heard before.
Ever think about why it’s so important?
Listening actively can change how you interact with your child. You need to understand more than just what your child says. You need to know what they think, feel, and have been through.
Active listening can give your child a safe place to talk, which can help build trust, respect, and connection.
Are you ready to learn how to be a better parent through active listening?
What is Active Listening?
Okay, so let me first tell you what is Active Listening.
Active listening is a key part of building a bond with your child that lasts. To understand your child’s point of view and build trust, you need to talk to them a lot. For a safe and open space for your child to express themselves, you need to understand and support them.
To actively listen, you need to know “how to listen”.
Showing your child that you’re listening might be as easy as nodding, confirming, and asking questions that show real interest. It gets people to share and stops confusion and fights.
To actively listen, you also need to build trust. By listening to your child, you show that you value and understand what they have to say. By thinking about what they say and how they feel, describing what they say, and not judging them, you make them feel heard and understood.
This makes relationships between parents and kids better and helps kids learn.
Active listening can be helpful as a parent. The benefits are better communication, knowing how your child feels, and fewer fights. Active listening helps you trust and talk to your child more, which makes your bond better.
Why Active Listening Matters for Parents
Understanding the importance of active listening is important if you want to connect with your child on a deeper level and create a safe and accepting space. When it comes to parenting, here are four reasons why active listening is so important:
- Parental presence: Listening to your child shows that you are interested in what they are saying. This makes your child feel loved and understood, which strengthens the bond between you and your kid.
- Child understanding: Active listening helps you understand what your child is saying, how they feel, and what they think. It helps you understand things from their point of view and meet their needs.
- Trust building: By paying attention to what your child says, you can show them that your feelings and thoughts are important. These actions help build trust and create a safe space where they can speak their minds without worrying about being judged or criticised.
- Relationship enhancement: Active listening enhances the overall quality of your relationship with your child. It promotes open and honest communication, strengthens emotional connections, and fosters mutual respect and empathy.
Benefits of Practicing Active Listening
Are you curious about the benefits of practicing active listening in your parent-child relationship? Active listening offers numerous advantages that can greatly enhance your parenting techniques and strengthen your bond with your child. By actively listening, you can improve your communication in these ways:
| Benefits of Practicing Active Listening |
|---|
| Relationship Building |
| Trust Development |
| Child Understanding |
Active listening builds trust by letting people be honest with each other.
Listening to your child shows them that you care about what they have to say, which makes your relationship stronger.
Also, listening actively helps build trust. Listening to your child in a real way shows that you care about them and are reliable, which builds trust in your relationship.
You can better understand your child if you listen to them. listening their point of view shows you what they think, feel, and have done. Knowing what they need helps you meet those needs better, which builds your relationship with them and helps you have a good relationship with your child.
What is Good Listening?
okay, so again I am telling you that listening well is the most important thing.
To have a good bond with your child, you need to be able to listen well. Good conversation is needed to understand how your child feels, build trust, and make relationships better. Not only hearing what your child says, but also showing that you care about how they feel and how they’re feeling. Four things you must do to listen well:
- Your child will know that you care about what they think and feel when you give them your full attention. Don’t use your phone or TV as a distraction; just listen to what they’re saying.
- It’s important to understand and acknowledge your child’s feelings. Think about how they feel and reply with kindness, letting them know that you know what they’re going through and care about it.
- When you talk over your child, they may feel like they are not being heard or valued. Let them say what they want without cutting them off. Give them room to share their feelings and thoughts.
- Provide useful comments as part of active listening. Say what your child said again, but this time use your own words to make sure you got it right. This shows that you’re paying attention and makes them want to keep talking.
What Are Active Listening Skills?
Active listening is a key part of good communication and bonds between parents and children. Listening to your child helps them trust you, understand, and feel love for you. Active hearing means that you really hear and care about what your child is saying.
Active listening makes conversations with kids more meaningful. You show that you care about what they have to say and are ready to listen and understand. Active listening makes it easier to communicate. Giving your child your full attention and playing with them makes them feel safe enough to say what they want to say.
To actively listen, you also need to build trust. Your child will trust you and tell you about their fears if they feel like you hear and understand them. Active hearing can also help you understand your child’s point of view and life. Being aware of this helps you react in a helpful way.
Active listening will help you connect with your child. When you really listen, you can understand and recognise how they feel. This makes your bond with your child stronger.
The next part of this article talks about useful ways for parents and kids to listen actively.
Easy Ways to Listen Better to Your Kids
Listening to our kids actively takes some effort, but it’s worth it. Here are some simple tips:
- Give them your full attention. Don’t look at your phone or let other things distract you when they are talking. Make eye contact.
- Show you understand how they feel. Nod, give empathy, and reflect back what you hear.
- Don’t interrupt. Let them fully explain their thoughts without jumping in.
- Provide feedback. Paraphrase what you heard them say to show you understand.
- Ask follow-up questions. Dig deeper into their perspectives and experiences.
- After listening, offer reassurance and support. Don’t immediately judge or give advice.
The more you can listen with care, patience and understanding, the closer you will become and the better you will communicate. Listening builds trust between parent and child over time.
Active Listening Examples
Use of different examples that show how important it is to really hear and understand what your child is saying can help you incorporate active listening into your conversations with them:
my daughter Emma comes home from school visibly upset. Instead of dismissing her or getting distracted, I make a point to actively listen.
Me: “Emma, you look sad. Did something happen at school today?”
Emma: “Yes. I got a bad grade on my math test. Now I’m worried about failing.”
Me: “I’m sorry to hear that. Getting a bad grade must feel discouraging.”
(By reflecting back the feeling, I show I understand she feels more than just sad.)
Emma: “Yeah, I studied really hard but I still didn’t do well. Maybe I’m just not good at math.”
Me: “That test doesn’t define your full potential. Why don’t we look over it together so I can see where you struggled?”
(Instead of judgments, I offer supportive problem-solving.)
Emma feels heard and cared for when I fully listen to her and have a caring back-and-forth talk with her about her worries. This makes us trust each other more and helps me figure out how to best help her in the future.
Here is another example of active listening with a child:
My son Ben, age 10, comes to me upset that the friends he was playing with said he couldn’t join their baseball game. Instead of downplaying his feelings, I make sure to actively listen:
Me: “You seem really frustrated. Did something happen with your friends?”
Ben: “Yeah, they didn’t let me play baseball with them! They said I wasn’t good enough and now I have no one to play with.”
Me: “That must’ve really hurt your feelings to be excluded like that.”
(Validating his emotion shows I empathize.)
Ben: “It did. I wish they wanted me on their team. I tried really hard but I guess they think I’m too clumsy.”
Me: “I’m sorry they made you feel that way. From my experience watching you play, you’ve improved a lot recently.”
(Reassuring him and highlighting his capabilities.)
Ben: “Thanks, Mom. Maybe I can practice more so they’ll pick me next time.”
Me: “Great idea! I’d be happy to pitch to you if you ever want help practicing before trying out again.”
Becoming more aware of Ben’s hurt feelings and offering personalized comfort and support is easier for me when I listen to him and try to understand his point of view. Over time, this helps us trust each other and talk to each other better.
Now its your…what do you understand with this??????
Using Reflections to Show Child You’re Listening
Speaking back to your child is one way to show that you are paying attention to what they are saying. Either stress and summarise how you think your child is feeling, or repeat back what your child has said and make sure it is understood.
- Guess feelings even if unsure. Say “You seem upset” if you don’t know why child is crying. Talk it through.
- Words aren’t always needed. Sometimes just be present and comforting is enough.
- Don’t have to agree. Don’t dismiss feelings. Help them process emotions.
- Talk about multiple feelings. Name all emotions, not just the main one.
- Don’t worry about getting it wrong. Kids will correct you. Keep trying and learning.
Let me share with you some of examples:
Situation: My daughter Anna is upset after a friend was mean to her at school.
Anna: “Jenny was so mean today. She told me I wasn’t invited to her birthday party because I’m too annoying.”
Me: “I’m so sorry to hear Jenny said those unkind things. It must have really hurt your feelings to be excluded and called annoying.”
(Reflecting back the emotions I’m hearing.)
Anna: “Yes it really hurt, I thought Jenny was my good friend. And now I’m worried the other girls think I’m annoying too.”
Me: “That would make me feel worried too, wondering if others feel that way because a friend said it. This sounds really hard.”
(Continuing to reflect back her emotions and perspective.)
Anna: “Yeah it is hard. I thought everyone liked me but now I just want to be alone.”
Me: “You feel sad and want to isolate. I’m here for you if you want to talk more to try and make sense of this.”
By hearing and thinking, I confirm how Anna feels. This lets her feelings out and stops her from holding them back. My thoughts show that I care, which makes our relationship better.
Importance of Active Listening in Parent-Child Relationships
Active listening is a key part of having a good relationship with your child.
YES….its true!!!
When you listen to your child, it shows that you care about what they have to say. This makes it easier to trust and talk to your child. Active listening means paying attention to what your child says, how they act, and how they feel. This makes their feelings clear and supports them.
Listening actively is a great way to build trust in any relationship. Listening to your child shows that you care about what they have to say. This helps people trust each other and lets them talk honestly. Know how your child feels and repeat those thoughts back to them to show that you’re paying attention. This can lead to better conversation and understanding of how each other feels.
Active listening is a great way to be a good parent. It helps you talk to your child better, builds a stronger bond between you, and pushes them to express themselves.
Active listening can help you see things from your child’s point of view and deal with issues. When you listen to your child, you show that you care, support, and respect what they have to say. Spend some time listening to your child, and you’ll feel closer to them.
Final Words on Active Listening
So I think that’s all you need to know about Active Listening from my side….
Active listening is an important skill for parents to learn if they want to have better bonds with their kids. We build trust and understanding with our child by giving them our full attention and respecting what they say and feel.
One time Active Listening really works is when a teen talks about how hard things are at school. Parents can help their kids feel heard and supported by actively listening and giving support.
This will strengthen their relationship with their child and help them grow emotionally.
How do you treat your child? I want to know your response in the comment box.
As a mom of teens and a pediatric Psychologists, I struggled to build trust. Through openly sharing my ups and downs raising two independent-minded kids, I provide practical tips to improve communication and confidently guide your teens into adulthood.