By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
Your child has gotten himself into a real mess this time....
Children - like adults - have problems. Your job isn't to make sure that they never experience difficulty in life. After all, that's not something in your realm of power. Your job is to support them through their challenges. This involves not blaming them for having challenges (even if a particular difficulty seems to be of their own making). It involves maintaining an optimistic stance (even if you are scared that the difficulty signals the end of the child's happiness on this planet). And it involves being a sounding board so that the child can assess the damage, plan his repair and move forward (even if you want to rush in and give him all the answers right now).
Sometimes you feel like your message is falling on deaf ears...
When a loved one can't hear what you're saying (doesn't understand or doesn't want to understand), don't keep repeating yourself. Try a different approach: repeat what your loved one is saying and/or say what you've been trying to say in a completely different way. A truly fresh start can unlock a communication that isn't going well.
