Just Listen

This past Shabbos I hosted the first Shabbos party and it was so great! Close to 40 girls joined us for the afternoon and it was the perfect mix of cozy and fun. We talked about being happy, sharing happiness and how sometimes doing the kind thing can feel super awkward at first. And then, we created a challenge for ourselves (greet 3 people with a big smile & eye contact every Monday morning for 4 weeks) and talked about the next topic. I was curious what they'd say. I wondered if I would have had any ideas in 6th grade. But, they did. We settled on a topic that everyone agreed is important. How does Loshon Harah affect friendships. BIG STUFF. It made me realize how much is really going on in children's heads & hearts. Here's what I think we the adults must remember- our kids are thinking and observing always and really have so much on their minds. They MUST be heard. They NEED someone to just LISTEN. When a child talks on and on about their school day, LISTEN, there is so much in their casual stories. The story about recess, what a teacher said, the carpool ordeal... In those seemingly surface conversations lie deeper thoughts and feelings. Ask questions sometimes, but mostly LISTEN. Listening shows you care. Listening shows you value their words and stories. Let's give our children the gift of our time and our attention. Stay tuned for the next Shabbos party on DECEMBER 14th!!!