Five-year-olds can be quite chatty, but through careful listening, parents can understand how their children are thinking or understanding a situation. Likewise, they may need some gentle reminders about being listeners themselves. Parents who model listening skills are more likely to have children who understand and use this ability to listen to others.*
*Taken from "The Growing Years", Child Development Fact Sheet #4251; prepared by Pam LaHaye, Extension associate, child development coordinator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
To what your children are trying to say
Listen today, whatever you do
Or they won't be there to listen to you.
Listen to their problems; listen for their needs,
Praise their smallest triumphs; praise their smallest deeds,
Tolerate their chatter; amplify their laughter,
Find out what's the matter, find out what they're after
But tell them that you love them, every single night
And though you scold them, make sure you hold them,
And tell them "Everything's all right."
If we tell our children, all the bad in them we see
They'll grow up exactly how we hoped they'd never be
But if we tell our children, we're so proud to wear their name,
They'll grow up believing they're winners in the game.
Take a moment to listen today
To what your children are trying to say
Listen today, whatever you do
And they will come back to listen to you!
-Author Unknown
Be sure to see The Legacy of Hope Site which is a support for cancer patients.