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Using Active Listening and "I" Statements

Using Active Listening and "I" Statements

July 1, 2022

When you use active listening, you open up the possibility of learning, teaching, and problem solving.

Active listening…

  • Builds a strong parent-child connection
  • Helps children understand the messages behind words
  • Opens the door for problem solving
  • Encourages your child’s ability to express and recognize feelings
  • Shows understand and empathy

Making “I” statements

  • Describe your child’s behavior, “I see you dumped all of your crayons on the floor.”
  • Express how the behavior makes you feel, “When I give you time to finish your drawing and then ask you to come to dinner and instead you keep coloring, I get very frustrated.”
  • Place blame on the behavior, not your child. For example, “When you yell very loudly, it scares me.”
  • Are non-judgmental (don’t use negative labels)
  • Decrease tension by modeling a calm reaction and recognizing how your child is feeling.

Content created in partnership with

Seedlings Group

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