July's Support Group topic

Listening Well

Listening is, perhaps, the most underrated skill to master as a foster parent. Listening can transform relationship and give value to a child who has felt unseen and unimportant. Dig deeper into these resources on active listening skills, and tactic to improve your listening mindset.

Doctor examining child's throat in clinic

People Skills: Listening

This is a great short video for parents and younger children to watch together. It is important that we help our children understand these skills. These tools are good conversation starter for parents to use with their kids as they learn to make friends at school and listen well to one another in the family.

The Art of Active Listening

Discover The Art of Active Listening through the use of reflective conversation as well as some nonverbal cues to display when listening to your child. Learn how to better listen and validate the feelings of your kids, while also teaching them tools to handle those feelings.

Why Listening is so Difficult

Become a better listener by understanding some of the major pitfalls we all experience when listening to (or failing to listen to) others. This short read breaks down some of the major distractors in our world and in our own brain. Review the Do’s and Don’ts of Listening and uncover helpful tools and tactics to evaluate and sharpen your listening skills.

The Five Second Rule

The Five Second Rule is a fairly well-known tool used to allow others time to process a question and feel brave enough to respond.

But this rule can work well when having a deeper conversation. 

Let’s say your teenager is opening up to you about an upsetting circumstance in their life. You feel the urge to weigh in, make a comment, or ask another question. But before you do —because eventually you will, this is a conversation after all — PAUSE — for 5 seconds. You can count it out in your head if you need to.

In this moment, you give your teenager space to speak again. You might find out that your teenager will have more to add or say. This lets them know that you are in no hurry! It communicates “I want to hear more about your circumstance”. Doing this gives them the interrupted floor to speak.

Remember there is a difference between unhurried pauses and silence. Use this at your own discretion and see how much others might be blessed with the gift of your unhurried listening skills.

Pro Tip: Practice this with a close friend or spouse. See how it encourages thoughtfulness and unhurried conversation between the two of you.