Everything I Learned About Listening To My Children…

I Learned From Jesus

Part 2

What would Jesus’ reaction be when He sees you and me interacting with our children?
When He sees you at the dinner table eating and talking on the phone at the same time, when He sees you at the grocery store, where the price of a can of peas is more important than your son’s latest Spiderman story (the one he made up himself!), when He hears you tell your child, who is belting out her favorite song, to be quiet so you can watch the news, when He sees you type away on the computer keyboard while your child is desperately seeking you attention, etc.? What would Jesus feel? Would He be livid? Furious? Or do you think He would look at you and say “well done, good and faithful servant?” The latter is doubtful. Deuteronomy 6:7 exhorts parents to talk to their children about God anytime and anyplace. This involves having a close relationship with your child(ren). If you don’t listen to them when they talk to you, at some point the communication will break down to the extent that they may not listen to you anymore either. This gets us back to the start; God gave us two ears but only one mouth. There is a reason for that.

So...what are you saying?

If you truly desire to learn how to listen to your child, here are some practical ideas:

1. Don’t second-guess what your child will say and don’t finish her/his sentences for her/him. You don’t like it when people do it to you, so odds are your child will not relish it either.
2. Face your child and look her/him in the eyes. This speaks loudly that whatever it is they communicate is important to you. Don’t watch TV when they’re talking, and don’t keep r eading or hacking away on the keyboard. You don’t like it when your spouse does it, and your kids don’t like it when you do it.
3. Encourage your child(ren) by asking questions such as “what else did she say”, “what did he wear”, “what did you do after that”?
4. When your child is in the middle of a conversation with you and the phone rings, finish the conversation and return the call later. When a grown-up interrupts your conversation with your child, at a store for instance, please ask the person to wait for a moment while your child finishes her/his thought.
5. And never, ever, even once, glance at your watch and sigh while your child is talking to you.

Other than your relationship with God first, and your spouse second, there is nothing more important in this universe than your interaction with your child!