The Kid’s Corral incorporates the research-based discipline approaches from the Love and Logic programs. Below is an excellent article from one of the founders and creators, Dr. Charles Fay……
Talking to Kids About Important Matters – Dr. Charles Fay
Some refer to it as the ‘Lecture Lobe.” Most of us have one… a part of our brain devoted exclusively to lecturing kids about being more responsible, eating green stuff, getting a good education, staying away from all things that might “put your eye out,” etc. For most folks, this part of the brain remains dormant… asleep… until we become parents or teachers. Then it activates! Have you ever been amazed at how easily and automatically a good lecture rolls off the tongue?
As they say in physics, every action has a reaction. When our lecture lobes swell, kids’ learning and listening lobes shrink. Indelibly etched into my memory is the little first grader I lectured about his chronic hall-running. “You could slip and get brain damage, “was the theme of my speech.
We’ve learned a lot from our own mistakes… and those made by others. We’ve learned even more by watching extremely effective parents and educators. Over the past thirty years, we’ve noticed that really successful ones understand the following concept:
The more words we use when kids are misbehaving or acting irresponsibly, the less effective we become.
Kids test us to see if we will love and accept them regardless of what they may do.
Questions do two powerful, important things. First, they show others that we can and want to understand their viewpoint. Secondly, they force people to do plenty of thinking. Questions create a lack of closure deep in the psyche. Humans yearn for closure and sort of go nuts when they don’t have it. Even when our kids don’t answer our questions verbally, their subconscious minds can’t resist the urge to give them plenty of thought. Some examples include:
- What do you think about how you’re doing in school right now?
- What are your ideas on whether bikes like your new one ever get stolen?
- What are your thoughts on kids experimenting with drugs?
- How do you think some kids put themselves in danger while chatting on the internet?
Listening to our youngsters’ opinions… even when they’re silly, strange, or downright scary… dramatically increase the odds that they’ll listen when it’s our turn to speak.
Let’s think about this. Do children have control over whether they listen to us… even when we don’t give them this control? You bet! Do stubborn kids know this? Yep! Whenever we pretend to have control over things we clearly do not, it erodes their respect for us… and creates a battle they cannot resist.
Here are a few tips to experiment with in talking to your kids about important matters:
- Have plenty of short discussion rather than a few long ones.
- Ask thoughtful and sincere open-ended questions.
- Ask permission to share your thoughts.
- Describe potential consequences using the “Some kids worry…” routine.
- Provide a positive expectation.
- If they refuse to talk, don’t fall into the trap of trying to make them.
We all know at least one child… or adult… who just has to learn life’s lessons the hard way. Despite all of our gallant attempts to endow them with our wisdom, they choose to take the rocky road to maturity by making plenty of mistakes and experiencing their consequences. Isn’t it interesting that the hardest lessons learned are usually the ones that teach us the very most!
Fay, Dr. Charles (2017, July 7). Talking to Kids About Important Matters(Blog Post). Retrieved from: https://www.loveandlogic.com/blog/talking-to-kids-about-important-matters