Parenting: Conversation

We talk with our children over the course of the day but rarely think about the learning in those conversations, even in the conversations with the young ones. Watch this clip and think about the lessons this little one is learning because of the care and patience her mother has in talking with her.

Here are a few of the lessons learned:

1. Wendy is learning vocabulary that helps her to express emotions such as love, tiredness, fear, and calm.

2. She is developing what is called theory of mind - an understanding that her thoughts and feelings are separate from others. Is the dog tired or am I tired? Does my mom need to calm down or do I need to calm down?

3. She is learning the difference between words that are mean and words that do not say what she wants to hear.

4. When her mother responds with a gentle, firm tone in words that simply explain why, she is learning to think about her actions.

5. Wendy is learning to feel comfort in the knowledge that her mother is not only responsive to her needs but is also in charge.

All of this from a short conversation!  The lessons are learned when they are experienced over and over, again. 

A faith - filled parent is teaching more than vocabulary and conversation. The time given to conversation, the gentleness and persistence, the guidance and forgiveness, of everyday conversion speaks of the faith given to parents and shared with their children. 

 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:20, ESV)