Active listening is crucial to good communication. But more likely than not, we think of verbalizing when we hear the word "communication." 

Our children know their strengths better than anyone. In order to listen to their wisdom, you will need to ask a lot of questions. This section is all about learning questioning skills to get those hidden clues to your child's strengths out of them. 

First, try following up every question with a question. When your child says that he didn't like school today, ask him, "Why do you say that?" 

"Because my teacher was angry all day." 

"What do you think made her feel that way?" 

By digging deeper with your questions you will begin to understand what makes your child tick. What makes them happy, gets them upset, and what variables make them respond in certain ways. 

When you finally get to the bottom of the reason why your child didn't like school today...(the teacher was upset all day because she was worried about her daughter who was in surgery), you then need to communicate back those feelings.  (i.e., "I hear you saying that you think your teacher was worried about her daughter all day, and she may have been more on edge today.") 

Click the link to find more listening strategies to use with your child! 

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Tags: children, listening skills, strengths, strengthsfinder