Tips for connecting with your child

Susan Stiffelman, MFT Author and Therapist, shares advice for parents on how to connect with their child and make them feel heard
Tips For Connecting With Your Child
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Tips for connecting with your child

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How can you connect with your child and make them feel heard? It's so important for a child to know that they have your undivided attention, at least for a little bit everyday. They get the cue from us that we are present, available, and interested; or wandering in our imagination or our thoughts. What you do is get yourself to stop, put yourself in another room, disengage from all the other things that distract you, once a day, for five or ten minutes. Say, "What's going on for you?" You don't have to use that sentence, but it is implied in what you do. You walk over to your child and tousle their hair, and say, "You know, I heard the funniest thing today. Wait until you hear." or "Tell me the coolest thing that happened to you between noon and 4:00." Then they get the message that you are there and present with them, that you really want to know about them, and connect with them.

Susan Stiffelman, MFT Author and Therapist, shares advice for parents on how to connect with their child and make them feel heard

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Susan Stiffelman, MFT

Author & Therapist

Susan Stiffelman is the author of Parenting Without Power Struggles: Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids While Staying Cool, Calm and Connected and the weekly parenting advice columnist at the Huffington Post. You can sign up for Susan's free parenting newsletter. 

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