Active Listening is an important skill set for students. It improves their understanding and retention of the material they are learning, so as you practice this skill with your teen, they’ll be doing better at making connections and better in their school work
Eye contact can help build connections by conveying interest, attention, and engagement during conversations. It helps to establish trust, makes the other person feel seen and heard, and encourages them to open up. Additionally, maintaining eye contact can help convey confidence and sincerity. So put your phone down, look up and connect.
Curiosity fosters connection. When teens approach conversations and interactions with inquisitiveness, they are more likely to be interested in what each other says.
Curiosity fosters connection. When teens approach conversations and interactions with inquisitiveness, they are more likely to be interested in what each other says.
Please don’t ask, “How was School Today?” “How was school today?” Right or wrong, what we teens hear is: “What did you learn today? Did you get good grades? What is your latest test score.” The New York Times has it right; when I hear it, I bristle all over. To keep the conversation flowing, we want to avoid things that make people defensive or are conversation killers. Here are a few examples: other Conversation Killers These are what I call Conversation Killers. There are many conversation killers; in this case, the “killer” is tied to the emotions linked to… Read More »How to get your Teen Talking
Conversation skills can make life easier by enabling effective communication with others. These lifelong skills can help your child build and maintain relationships. Conversation helps resolve conflicts and navigate a variety of social situations. Good conversation skills can lead to exceptional academic and professional success. Effective communication skills improve cooperation and understanding among individuals, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making. Here’s an easy mnemonic to remember the skills you want your child to master: Connect with Cable, C-A-B-L-E Why Cable? In 1877 the first copper-looped telephone cable was set up, reducing the noise over the phone line and helping people… Read More »Five conversation skills your child needs to know
Curiosity fosters connection. When teens approach conversations and interactions with inquisitiveness, they are more likely to be interested in what each other says.
We can learn a lot about communicating and connecting from Dr. Martin Luther King. You can hear his speech here, and I urge you to listen to him versus me. If you have more than 16 minutes, then yes, I think we can learn how to be better communicators from Dr. King. But if you only have a few minutes today to think about Dr. King, then listen to his speech, soak it in, and be inspired. I hope everyone knows that Dr. King was a fantastic speaker. His name, his image, they immediately conjure up memories of his voice… Read More »Listening to People with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
When a child, a three-year-old or a fifteen-year-old, looks up at you and says, “I don’t have any friends.” It hurts. It just hurts. With the three-year-old, generally, the parent can fix it, sit down and build something, read a book, play with the stuffies, and even arrange a playdate. But it becomes very tricky when playdates become uncool, and mom can’t pick those friends anymore (darn those teens for having opinions). When your child is lonely, your first instinct is to help. Every parent has a moment where their child’s friends’ interests diverge, and suddenly the sporty kid is… Read More »What Can Parents Do When Their Child Is Lonely
“It’s Tuesday! A fantastic day of the week to reach out to a friend and strike up some conversation! Start with a question: Would you rather have a full phone battery or a full tank of gas? Keep the conversation going, listen to the answer, and ask follow-up questions. Which would you rather have run out? Where would you go? What would you do? Try it out, chat with your friends and let us know what you think in the comments!