Real-Life Story 4
SYMPATHETIC LISTENING
A big piece of Parenting Job 3, strengthening your relationships
with your children, is listening to what your kids have to say.
You want to be a good listener when your children are happy
and excited, but it’s also important to be there for them when
they’re frustrated, sad, or upset.
Unfortunately, sympathetic listening is easier to describe
than it is to do. Sometimes we don’t have the time to listen. At
other times, we simply don’t remember to take the time when
we really could.
In our Real-Life Story 4, The Case of the Fickle Friends, you
will see me mishandle a situation in which my son was
temporarily upset with some of his neighborhood buddies. In the
portion of the story called the Wrong Way, you’ll see me being
a lousy listener. In Thinking It Through, we’ll take a look at
what I messed up. Then we’ll give you a chance to evaluate your
own listening skills with your kids.
Finally, the Right Way section of our narrative will give me
a chance to undo my mistake—an opportunity that doesn’t
always happen in real life!