You have to know how to listen in an active way and you have to teach it to children since they are small, to ensure that its development is the most optimal possible. Children must express themselves perfectly but it is also very important that they know how to listen. Active listening is key when it comes to achieving good relationships on a social level. It is not enough to hear what others say, it is important to know how to listen.
Active listening includes a series of values as essential in people as empathy or respect. In the following article we are going to talk about what is meant by active listening and of the best means that parents can use to get their children to learn this skill.
What is meant by active listening
Active listening is nothing more than a type of communication skill that allows people to improve their relaciones social with other people. Not everyone knows how to listen actively and when it comes to responding, they do not do so adequately. Thanks to this type of listening, the person can maintain a coherent conversation based on respect and empathy.
In active listening, empathy has an essential and important role since in this way the person is able to put himself in the shoes of the other and converse in an appropriate way. Apart from all this, active listening involves another series of aspects such as visual language, gestures or a correct tone of voice.
Active listening in children
It is quite normal and common for children to get distracted when starting a conversation. Due to their age, they have attention problems and do not know how to listen properly. If you are a father or mother, you will have seen more than once how he starts to play while you talk to him or say something important to him.
We must start from the basis that active listening is a skill that must be taught. It is not easy to get them to learn this type of skill and you have to arm yourself with a lot of calm and patience. Parents must follow a series of techniques that gradually help their child to be able to listen actively without losing attention at any time.
How to teach a child to listen actively
- There are a number of games that can help your child learn to listen actively. If children are entertained and have a good time, they are more likely to acquire such listening skills.
- It is important to teach them not to know how to interrupt any type of conversation. At the moment of speaking, children should know that the first thing is to listen and from there, give an opinion on the issue at hand.
- Knowing how to listen actively will depend a lot on knowing how to control and manage the body. It is good for children to know that you have to look into the eyes when talking to another person. Posture is also important for active listening. Once they know how to handle their body, it will be much easier and easier to learn the skill of active listening.
- Another essential aspect of learning such a skill is to lead by example. If children observe how their parents know how to listen when having a conversation, it is easier for them to learn to listen and stop paying attention. There is no use trying to teach such a skill to the child, when your father is unable to pay attention when having a conversation with another person.
Ultimately, It is very important to teach children from a young age to know how to listen in a totally active way. It is true that at first it can be very complicated, but with perseverance and perseverance it can be achieved.