Predictions for 2023 (from 100 years ago)
A technique for understanding your child better. And why understanding what your child is interested in helps increase their willingness to cooperate.
I was browsing Twitter when I found this wonderful thread titled "A List of Predictions Made in 1923 About 2023"
Here are my favorites:
"Fewer Doctors and Present Diseases Unknown, All People Beautiful"
"No More Hard Work By 2023!"
"The average length of human life will be 300 years."
I just love how optimistic people were about the future 100 years ago.
In today's world, it feels like things are changing so quickly that it is impossible to know what is going to happen in 10 years, next year, or even next week.
Everything changes so quickly that I struggle to keep up with the things my children are interested in. My son is 6 years old, and already programming using Scratch and playing online games like Minecraft. This past holiday, he started playing a new game combining Minecraft and Pokemon which I can't even begin to understand.
All of this requires effort to understand. But it is also critical that we spend the time to connect with our children to understand what they are thinking, and what is important to them.
I recently interviewed Rebecca Rolland, author of The Art of Talking with Children, for my ebook "How To Get Your Kids To Listen".
Rebecca is a language specialist, and during the interview she shared a technique that she calls "Curious Waiting".
She developed this technique to help parents understand their children better. And by understanding your child better, it becomes easier to get them to cooperate with you.
Here's what she said:
The thing is really to realize that when a child feels as if you're bonded, they want to help you meet your goals also. Set up a longer-term foundation for more cooperation in the future too.
Rebecca Rolland
By practicing this Curious Waiting technique on a frequent basis, it becomes possible to keep up with the changes in your child's life. It allows you to understand what is important to them, and what interests them.
This technique also helps you understand how to motivate your child to cooperate, because you start to understand what they are interested in and how to incorporate that into your requests.
I think it is critical to have a daily practice of trying to understand your child. Especially in today's constantly changing world.
You can find Rebecca's explanation of her Curious Waiting technique in the full interview here.
Talk soon
Sue Meintjes
ExpertParentingAdvice.com