Children Should Be Heard

Can you believe some still live by the rule that children should be seen and not heard? Those individuals may not realize it but, this rule can cause self esteem issues in children. Such children may develop an subconscious habit of not speaking up, succeed to their fullest potential, continuously doubt themselves, expect and tolerate being ignored, and avoid doing their best because they feel they won’t be accepted. Unfortunately, these children may grow up with these habits and subconsciously teach them to their children.
Please understand that children should be SEEN AND HEARD. They should be encouraged to appropriately speak their mind, ask questions about what’s happening around them, and speak up when something seems wrong and/or if they don’t understand something. Children should also be given opportunities to learn how to communicate effectively early in life so it can be easier for them to communicate when they become adults, join the workforce, maintain happy/healthy relationships, influence positive behaviors from others, and more.
Here are a few tips on how to give your child more opportunities to be SEEN AND HEARD:
Allow them to order dinner for the family at a restaurant or over the phone for delivery.
Play a family debating game. Pick a topic all players will be interested in and give everyone the same amount of time to debate. Make it fun! When each player speaks, avoid interruptions by the other players.
When changes are made in the family, ask the child their thoughts and feelings about the changes. Again, don’t interrupt. Pay attention. Show that you care, value, respect, and appreciate their honesty and courage to talk about it. Do all you can to resolve any worries or fears.
Encourage your child to volunteer to present – speak publicly about a project or assignment they worked on. Before they do, help them prepare and practice so they’ll do a good job and build their confidence. It’ll be fun to be their “pretend” audience while practicing.
Read together every night at least 25 minutes. Encourage your child to read aloud to you. Give your full attention when they are speaking.
Avoid making negative or judgmental comments to them and around them about their speaking.
Parents, do all you can to be supportive of your children. Help them feel good about themselves. Help them feel good about speaking to others. Avoid discouraging them from talking and expressing their point of view and ideas. It will harm their self esteem. Have fun trying the tips above, it’ll be fun!
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