Listening and talking are learned behaviors. How your children will communicate with others and you is something they are learning from you. Are you talking with and listening to them every day? About things that don’t matter, not just peppering them with questions? Is your homework done? Is your room clean? Did you do what I asked you to do?
When they are teens it is UNBELIEVABLY important that your teens trust you to listen when they talk. They need to be able to come to you and talk about both the meaningless and the meaningful.
Start young and create an atmosphere of conversation in your home.
I am 17 years into parenting and my teenagers talk with me. Often and about all topics. The reason they do is because I have been talking, asking and listening to them for years. Talk with your kids, do it often, you will reap the rewards when it matters most.
What do they love about the seasons?
1. What is your favorite season? Why? (You can’t say summer because there is no school.)
2. Do you like the rain? How many days in a row do you think would be your limit?
3. Do you like snow? Would you rather live someplace that had winter or someplace that didn’t?
4. Snow storm or thunderstorm?
5. When you were younger what did you think thunder was? Do you remember what we used to tell you it was?
6. Have you ever caught a raindrop on your tongue?
7. Changing leaves of fall or the new flowers and greenness of spring?
8. Would you rather be on the West Coast watching a hurricane hit the East Coast or on the East Coast experiencing it?
9. Would you live someplace that had tornadoes? Do you know what to do if you are ever caught in one?
10. Is the holiday season just as much fun when it’s 80 degrees or would you rather have snow?
More Table Talk.