Every parent knows that great parent-child communication is the key to a healthy & happy family. But there's so much more to communication than just 'talking' with your kids.
One very important thing to keep in mind when communicating with your children is the energy that you're emanating during the communication. Here at Project GiftED, we've been discussing energy all week and how it is present in all interactions. You know how when you meet someone and they get that fake smile and say "It's soooo nice to meet you!" with this excessive amount of enthusiasm - but the vibe or energy you are relly getting from the is completely opposite of their words.... This is what we are talking about! And it is especially important that you maintain consistent and positive energy when you're around your kids.
Energy types beget energy types, and we already know this. So, if we send out negative messages to our children through our energy and its various communication paths, we are going to receive the same sort of energy back.
I found this article that explains all about how energy can drastically effect your child's behavior, temperament and how they see the world and people in it. It's really an eye-opener and actually makes a lot of sense.
Just think about it... Have you ever been around someone that you felt safe with? You just felt very comfortable in their presence? You could immediately sense that this person was a person you could trust - they were probably very warm and genuine. That's because their calm and positive energy was probably "speaking" to you.
Energy travels through all the various ways we communicate. These include how we speak to our children (tone of voice) and what we say, our facial expressions, our body language and our eye gaze, as a few examples. Thus we can think of our different modes of verbal and non-verbal communication as the vessels our energy travels through.
Essentially, the energy that we put out to our children is going to be the same sort of energy that we get back from them. So if you feel calm and happy, those feelings will travel with your words and actions, and they're visible to your kids. If you're tired and angry, your kids can sense that too and it will really affect their behavior towards you and the situation.
Read the rest of the article below, you'll see for yourself how important it is to maintain positive and healthy energy when building a happy and healthy family.
By Ann-Michele Timmerman
While the title may bring weapons of mass destruction to mind, worry not! This article is a safe zone!
When I say a parent's "most powerful weapon," what I mean is that it is something I strongly believe to be the single most powerful thing a parent can do to more effectively be a mom or dad. It is also what I believe to be the most effective tool in growing exceptional children.
I've long advocated that what is helpful to us as parents is to understand the nature of children. This is not to say that we all must become child psychologists, however, getting into their little worlds a bit more can often make the difference between less enjoyable and enjoyable parenting experiences.
What, might you ask, is this most powerful weapon? Drum roll please...
Energy. More specifically, "calm and confident" energy.
I've always felt like my son's energy level is constantly way higher than mine. I am not a very energetic person in general and being around kids (including mine) can drain me quickly. I try to exhibit confidence - because you need it to be an authority figure to your child, but I also try to teach my son to respect my need for occasional privacy and some quite time.