Ever been stuck in a car with a child who simply won’t stop talking? As much as we love our children, for many of us, listening to non-stop gab feels exhausting. But before demanding your child put the brakes on their motormouth, consider the nature of the discussion. A child, who jumps from one random topic to the next without saying anything in particular, might use talk to hide a deeper issue.
All throughout a child’s school and teen years, attachment parenting beliefs and philosophies help build the important parent-child connection through empathetic listening, support, mutually-set rules, loving discipline, child-led independence, quantity of focused and unfocused time together and most of all, mutual respect. Over 50 years of research shows that children who have their security and dependence needs fulfilled and supported early and consistently grow into emotionally healthy and independent adults.
Nobody likes a tattletale - not even their mother or father. If your child’s playdates and sleepovers are punctuated by whiney reports of misdeeds and injustice, you may be tempted to clear your kid’s social calendar. Not so fast. Interactions with siblings and friends allow kids to practice communication, negotiation and compromise. And dissatisfaction is part of the process.
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