Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Wellness Wednesday - Building Relationships with Children and Teens

How are we doing building relationships? Have you been acknowledging others? I know when I've made a special effort to greet people, I've gotten some interesting responses. Everyone seems pleased to be recognized, and many have expressed thanks for my few words.

It's relatively easy to bond with a sweet baby. The closer our youngsters get to middle school age, the more difficult it is to keep that connection, and forge new ones. What can we do?

There are many methods, but we're going to focus on three for this week.

Keep on with the greetings you started last week.

 When your son or daughter has good news to share, whether it's theirs or about a friend, encourage them to talk about it. Ask about where they were when they heard the news, how it felt, who was with them, etc. The more time you spend finding out details, the closer your bond will be. Even if you are inclined to say something negative, wait. That conversation can always take place later.

If there's some bad news, also take the time to listen. Be encouraging without making light of their concerns. Tell her about a difficult time in your life when you dealt with a similar problem. Express your confidence in their abilities, and recall when she overcame a challenge.

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1 comment:

  1. We also let our son's teachers or church leaders know when he does something awesome. It makes a great conversation starter in classes or for them to work into examples for future lessons.

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