The Importance Of Listening To Your Children

Listening to your children makes them understand that you care and that you are interested in what they have to say. This is not always easy, and in this article we will delve into this.

Being a parent is not easy. Sometimes you do not have enough time, and you miss part of your children’s upbringing. But listening to your children as they talk to you helps them develop many aspects of their lives. Unfortunately, sometimes parents are too busy to realize how important it is.

For children, their parents are their world, their heroes. How their parents relate to them affects their view of life and of themselves, what they expect from the world and their social circle. Be careful how you act or talk in front of them, remember that children copy what they see.

Why is it so important to listen to your children?

Children are unpredictable and can sometimes be awkward. Sometimes you may say that you will talk later. But if this happens a lot and you get used to not listening to them or paying attention to them, it can have bad consequences.

Self-esteem

When you listen to your children, you value them. You let them know that they are important and deserve love and attention.

Like adults, children need to know that someone is willing to listen to them and hear what they have to say. By listening to them, you show them respect and affection and they get a better self-esteem.

If you ignore them, even if you do not mean them, they feel worthless, as if they are in the way. They learn not to share their thoughts and opinions, because they feel that no one cares. They lack the confidence to live life to the fullest.

Social skills

Social skills develop over time. Children have just begun to learn more about social rules and how to act on them. Sometimes they therefore speak a little louder than they should, or so they can interrupt people.

But they also do not learn to correct this if they do not train enough. Listen and talk to them. It helps them practice these skills and rely on their ability to follow social rules. If they are not offered enough opportunities to express themselves freely and learn from it, they may not fully develop their social skills.

Trust

Teenagers often keep to themselves, and their parents often complain to them about this. What parents do not realize is that trust must be built from an early age. Children notice if you show false interest in their conversations or just try to avoid them altogether.

If you make them feel that you are a person they can go to to be heard and feel supported, it will be easier to maintain this bond through adolescence. Listening to your children helps you get to know them, know what they like and dislike, what worries them, what they are afraid of. They will then not hesitate to come to you when they need advice.

The art of listening to your children

• Children tend to get on the sidelines and explain things too slowly. Be patient and try not to interrupt them while talking. Wait until they finish their story and then share your opinion.
• Practice active listening. It’s not enough to just listen to what they say. Show them interest, real interest. You may need to go down to their eye level while they are talking.

• Try not to be judgmental. If they begin to feel judged, they are less likely to come back to you to talk about their lives or feelings. Be understanding and patient.
• Set aside a moment of your day to talk without distractions, and devote yourself only to your child.

The time you spend talking and listening to your children will be a valuable investment. You help them develop their self-esteem and self- confidence. They will develop their social skills and you will build a trusting relationship with them.