Active listening is not just for school days. It’s a life-long process that is slipping away with active conversation and it’s harder to maintain than you may think!
Active listening means the listener is attentive to the speaker using good eye contact and a still body while listening. No looking away, no “ah-as” and no interrupting. Your actions show the speaker that you are focused on the words and hopefully the thoughts being spoken. When a child is the speaker, you may be challenged to stay with their possibly slow thought processing. Stick with it. If the child is stalled, ask a clarifying question to help move their thinking along:
“I heard you say your dog had a limp. Did you need to take her to the vet?”
Be patient. When children have important issues to communicate we must stop what we are doing and give them our undivided attention. After all, we’d want nothing less from those we talk with, right?
What tricks do you use to stick with active listening? Share you stories and ideas in a Comment.