Why Parents Need to Learn to Listen More [One Minute Feature]

In the digital age, we are accustomed to receiving multiple sources of information all at once. In this easily distracting environment, it is important that we make the effort to focus and truly listen to those who are most important to us.

How Trying to Listen More Can Help Deepen Relationships Between Parents and Kids

You have probably heard why God gave us two ears and one mouth—so we will listen twice as much as we talk. One of the hardest things for me, as a parent, is to resist the temptation to talk more than I listen. We open up opportunities for deeper relationships with our kids when we do.

Of course, there are times when we need to verbalize our position and share acts of wisdom with our kids that are in keeping with adequately training them. This is not an admonition to stay silent as a parent. It is an admonition to listen more—both in the quantity of our listening and in the quality of our listening. When we are texting, checking email, or surfing the net while our kids are genuinely trying to communicate something to us, we cheat ourselves as much as we cheat our kids.

Picture provided by: RobinHiggins