"Nothing is more precious than being in the present moment. Fully alive, fully aware." -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Why I Let My Kids Interrupt My Conversations
There have been many books and blog posts written to offer parents tips on how to teach kids, from a very young age, not to interrupt people when they are in the middle of conversations. However, after reading this week's featured article, I realized there is something really important that all of these tips were missing.
Young children, perhaps under the age of 5 or 6, don't live for "five minutes from now" when you're ready to listen to that story they wanted to tell you so urgently five minutes ago. They live in the present moment. So how are we affecting their natural flow of expression when we keep asking them to wait while we finish that relatively unimportant conversation, as is often the case? And how can we strike a healthy balance in our responses to their interruptions? We offer you one mom's reflections on a profound realization she had in the process of trying to teach her kids to not interrupt her and a few tips she has learned in the process on how to be present for your kids. [read more]
Young children, perhaps under the age of 5 or 6, don't live for "five minutes from now" when you're ready to listen to that story they wanted to tell you so urgently five minutes ago. They live in the present moment. So how are we affecting their natural flow of expression when we keep asking them to wait while we finish that relatively unimportant conversation, as is often the case? And how can we strike a healthy balance in our responses to their interruptions? We offer you one mom's reflections on a profound realization she had in the process of trying to teach her kids to not interrupt her and a few tips she has learned in the process on how to be present for your kids. [read more]
Reading Corner
Title: What Does It Mean to Be Present?
By: Rana DiOrio
Ages: 4+
Why? "I got this book for my 5-year-old to help her understand what it means to live in the present moment. It's a difficult concept to explain to kids, as they naturally live in the moment :) However, this book does a lovely job of sharing very simple and practical examples to help children understand different expressions of being present in their lives, to enable them to actually put this into practice."
By: Rana DiOrio
Ages: 4+
Why? "I got this book for my 5-year-old to help her understand what it means to live in the present moment. It's a difficult concept to explain to kids, as they naturally live in the moment :) However, this book does a lovely job of sharing very simple and practical examples to help children understand different expressions of being present in their lives, to enable them to actually put this into practice."
Recommended by Trishna Shah
Be the Change
The next time a young child interrupts you with enthusiasm and excitement to tell you something, pause and be present for them. Give them the gift of your attention to share a quick, beautiful moment together :)
