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| Talk—and Listen—to Your Children Finding Common Ground During Disagreements by Larry J. Leech II
We both dug our heels in trying to convince the other that our music of choice was superior. I often played what I believed to be the trump card. “If it wasn’t for the music by ‘my’ musicians, ‘your’ guys never would have developed into what they have. We laid the groundwork.” That worked for a while, but then those words appeared to fall on deaf ears. That was not surprising since he, like his old man, preferred playing his music at a high volume. After nearly an hour of this back-and-forth, I looked at him and said, “I can see that I am not going to change your mind.” He looked me squarely in the eyes and replied, “And I’ll never change yours, either.” I smiled. “I guess we need to agree to disagree.” That little exchange forever changed our approach about music—and many other things as well. We learned to respect and appreciate each other’s opinions. Our children, despite what we hope and dream, will never be just like us. They may look like us, dress like us, have many of the same mannerisms, but they are individuals with a plan and purpose established by God. Since that day, my son and I have had some amazing conversations about politics, religion, relationships and career choices. Once I learned to listen to him, I was able to talk with him. When was the last time you really listened to your children? I know we hear them. They love to talk to us. They love to tell us about every little thing they did that day at school. While sometimes that changes when they become teenagers, some children love to sit down for a good chat through their teens and even early 20s. If you haven’t stumbled upon the joys of listening, you are in for a wonderful new experience. When we begin to listen, we can begin to talk—and they will listen. Never willing to back down from a good debate, Larry J. Leech II found listening to the other side can pay off with huge dividends. How do you practice good communication with your children? | Top | Share Your Thoughts... Be the first to comment on this article! |
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I remember one winter day in 2006, when my son and I were having a heated battle about music. I thought what he listened to was the worst thing in the world. The deep throaty vocals sounded more like someone regurgitating than singing. He thought the high-pitched shrills of my favorite vocalists sounded more like a cat being run over by a car.
