Enveloped with excitement and curiosity, I was waiting for the workshop participants, parents of teens and preteens. Eager to get to know them and curious to hear what questions they’re going to bring.
One by one they entered the hall with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. I studied the group; mums with diverse backgrounds, Indian, Japanese, German and Australian. After a warm welcome, I asked for a brief introduction about them and their teens.
Everyone opened up, there was no hesitation. One after another, mums described their children ranging from 10 years to 16 years and commented on the challenges they’re going through with their teens in today’s world. Interestingly, inspite of the cultural diversity, what every mum wanted was; to raise happy and confident children and be the best mum she can be.
I described myself as their partner in this exciting venture and my job is to equip them with methods of communication so they can cultivate satisfying relationship with their children. And their job is to test these methods with their children at home and report back to the group in next session.
We started with the poem by Dorothy Nolte,”Children learn what they live!” and the significance of leading by example.
Highlights– The important highlights during the workshop were:
Feelings really matter, it’s so important to understand and accept our children’s feelings before we judge or moralise any of their actions or behaviour.
Words matter a lot too, choose your words wisely as they can cause resentment or gratitude.
Communication techniques for teens and preteens:
- Door openers & Closers
- Less is more
- How to boost their confidence and self-esteem
- What is right way to do praise
- How to set boundaries
One of the most interesting part was when two mums realised how their teen daughters were acting exactly the same way as they used to be in their teens. This was such an eye opener and created a positive shift for everyone.
The questions were flooding in and none mind staying overtime for the meaningful discussions. We ended with creating an action plan to start using some of the skills straight away with the children. Everyone was so charged and excited to try the new skills and seemed a bit reluctant to leave. Perhaps too much to share in one session, so all waved goodbye with a hope to meet in next session.
Here’s what two of the mums shared about the workshop-[frame bgcolor=”#d3e2f0″ version=”light”]The workshop was so helpful and empowering. As a mum of two daughters, I am going to benefit a lot from the communication skills I learnt today from Saloni. I so much look forward to applying all the tools as a parent, to help my girls even more. Thank you Saloni. – Peggy Bhohi (mum of 2 young daughters)
Workshop summary:
- Its never too late to develop a stronger bond with your child.
- Respectful listening, unconditional love and acceptance can heal and transform any relationship.
- What children experience at home empower them to bring their best in this world and help them deal with whatever comes their way, with confidence.
- Every single day is an opportunity to share our love, trust and support with them.
The beauty of the workshop was I learned as much from the mums too, as they did. We all know parenting is quite a roller coaster ride especially with teens and preteens.
What are your highs and lows as a parent, feel free to share here with us, it’s always a pleasure to read.
Happy Parenting!