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Communication is, of course, a huge and multi-faceted topic; we'll be revisiting it many times in the weeks to come. The age of your child will determine which areas of communication are most relevant in your home, but this week's topic - acknowledging and validating - can apply almost from birth.
Acknowledging and validating are easy skills, once you're familiar with them, but they may take a little getting used to. Acknowledging is letting someone know that you're actively listening to what they're saying, and validating is letting them know that their feelings are understandable and justified.
For example, your child tells you that she's had a bad day. It's easy to downplay the comment, and say something like, "Oh, that's too bad honey. I'm sure tomorrow will be better." Acknowledging, on the other hand, would be more like this: you look the child in the eye, and say in a comforting voice, "I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you tell me more about what...
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