Listen carefully, very carefully

REFLECTIVE listening — listening in such a way that the child’s experience is acknowledged and validated — is something we all think we do as parents.

But the reality is often different, says parent coach Val Mullally.

Mullally says reflective listening creates an environment where your child “feels felt”. She says we can massively influence our level of listening by being aware of the space we create between us. “Is it polluted, clean or sparkling?”