Mindful Listening Makes for Meaningful Dialogue in the Car!

The car is actually a fantastic place to teach mindful listening! It's a contained space with fewer distractions and plenty of opportunities for meaningful conversation.

Why is the car ideal?

• No eye contact pressure: This helps anxious or shy children feel safer.

• Natural transitions: After school creates an opening for dialogue.

• Limited multitasking: This creates the opportunity to be more focused.

• Children communicate better when they feel heard.

Tips for creating a teaching mindful listening

• Create a quiet space in the car instead of jumping into questions. Give a few minutes of calm before talking. In fact, create 2-5 minutes of "Talk Time" daily in the car where your child gets to share anything uninterrupted.

• Use reflective listening when your child shares something instead of offering advise or judgement e.g., Child-" I don't like math." Parent- "Math was tough today." No advise unless asked, particularly in older children.

• Be curious, not corrective and never grill your child. They will shut down.

• Try not to make the questions to open -ended as you are inclined to get vague answers. Be more specific or provide alternatives e.g., " Did you paint or build?" " What made you feel happy today?"

• Celebrate little moments and if your child opens up affirm it- "Thanks for telling me, I loved hearing that."

Mindful listening games to play in the car

• Echo game: Take turns to say a word or phrase that your child must repeat. Add complexity by slowly increasing the length or adding emotions. This focuses on memory, tone and being present.

• Story chain: Start a story with a sentence. The child repeats your sentence and adds their own. Keep going until the story is complete or to long to remember. This requires attentive listening and creative thinking.

• Listening detective: Describe a sound heard from inside or outside the car. Others guess what it is. This heightens environmental listening and auditory discrimination.

• What did I say? Say 3 random words and ask your child to repeat them in reverse order.

  This strengthens working memory and focused listening.

In essence, mindful listening creates a space for true understanding which is the cornerstone of any meaningful dialogue. It reduces frustration, fosters trust and encourages language rich interactions because you are fully present, attentive, non-judgmental and attuned.