We started by asking the following questions:

How do you define listening?

How do you know when your child is listening?

How does it feel when you think your child isn’t listening to you?

The answers were similar.

With a child, listening means they are doing what we're asking.

Feelings of frustration and powerlessness were universal.

Feeling at a loss for what to do. Some scenarios: Not liking school, not getting ready to go in the morning. Kid saying "I have plans!"

We defined empathy as the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another.

We defined self-empathy as the willingness to accept, without judgement, how we feel.  Self-empathy gives space before we react. Then we can respond from a more resourced place. We can be cycle breakers. 

We discussed the Seven Steps to Empathy and practiced with partners.

We closed with a 3-steps to self-acceptance practice, like this one.