If age appropriate, consider showing this clip to your child and having a conversation about active listening!
Active listening is defined as:
a pattern of listening that keeps you engaged with your conversation partner in a positive way. It is the process of listening attentively while someone else speaks, paraphrasing and reflecting back what is said, and withholding judgment and advice. When you practice active listening, you make the other person feel heard and valued. In this way, active listening is the foundation for any successful conversation
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-active-listening-3024343
In this clip, Amy displays a lot of active listening skills towards Sheldon’s dilemma. For example, she asks clarifying questions and she reflects back what she has heard See which ones you and your child can identify together. (see the above reference if you need a list of active listening skills as ideas to get the conversation going.)
The one missing ingredient, comically, is authenticity. When we actively listen to others, we don’t just need to use our skills…we actually need open our hearts and minds to make room for others and listen for what we might learn about them. We can all tell when someone is pretending to care, or acting how they think they are suppose to act versus when someone truly cares. In some ways, isn’t the authenticity and the effort even more important than the technique? If so, that’s good news for all of us because we may not always get it right, but we can always give our sincere effort to one another.
