Active Listening

When children are experiencing conflict or dealing with difficult emotions, one of the best ways to support them directly is through active listening. Active listening involves engaging fully with someone by following their lead, using non-verbal communication, and encouraging them to talk. It can be helpful to maintain an empathetic, non-verbal attitude while letting children know that you are paying attention. One way to make sure they know you are listening is to paraphrase what they’ve said, repeat it back in short easy to understand words. Another way is to give subtle non-verbal cues such as “mm hmm” or smiles of encouragement. Try not to fill silences with your own words; instead, let them talk on their own terms.

If a young person is experiencing conflict or dealing with difficult emotions, try to support them directly through active listening. Active listening helps children express themselves so that they can learn about themselves and how to communicate effectively with others. It can also help children understand how their emotions affect interactions with others in positive ways.

Active listening involves engaging fully with someone by following their lead, using non-verbal communication, and encouraging them to talk.

• Active Listening is a skill that can be learned. It is important to note that active listening involves non-verbal cues, so if you’re not familiar with those, it may be difficult for you to follow along with someone else during an interaction.
• Active listening involves following their lead: When your child wants to tell you something, do not interrupt them or try to find out what they need from you by asking questions first—they will probably want to keep talking about whatever it is on their mind without being prompted by others around them (including adults). Instead of trying too hard at this point, let them finish whatever they’ve been saying before responding back with another question or comment; then maybe ask another question later down the road when appropriate!

Examples of nonverbal cues:

• Facial expressions. The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions without saying a word. …
• Body movement and posture. …
• …
• Eye contact. …
• …
• …
• Tone of Voice. …
• Pay attention to inconsistencies.

It can be helpful to maintain an empathetic, non-verbal attitude while letting children know that you are paying attention.

• Do not interrupt.
• Do not give advice.
• Do not try to fix the problem or judge them for it—you’ll just make things worse!
• Instead of telling them what you would do if you were them (e.g., “I’d have told my parents not to buy me that toy”) say something like “Let’s think about how we can help your brother/sister feel better.”

Listen with your eyes: As soon as kids start talking about things like “I’m bored!” or “I’m hungry!” look at them and smile encouragingly. Show that you are listening by looking at the person in front of you instead of checking out other things around the room, like plants or toys on shelves behind you (even if these things do look interesting). This will make sure that your child knows that there are no problems, if he/she comes over and talks with an open mind while still being able to hear what others have had problems with today (or whatever other problem might arise).

Active listening is a way to help your child learn more about themselves and how to communicate effectively with others. You may want to start out with a short activity such as reading or drawing together and then take some time at the end of the activity for active listening. Be attentive when your child talks about a difficult situation or emotion; this will help them understand how emotions affect interactions with others in positive ways.

Active listening involves being attentive, following the child’s lead, and responding back appropriately each time they speak.

I hope that these tips will help you to be a more effective parent. You can use them and adapt them for your own parenting style.