Here’s a free sample of the format used in my new book!    

The book Do You Know How to Talk with Your Young Child? Learn the 4 Step Approach to Converse and Connect is a communication book to assist parents of young children in communicating effectively and engaging in open conversations about life values and problem-solving with their young children.  It’s a brief and fun way to connect and stimulate an open relationship and learn about the animals highlighted in the stories.

In the book, we learn several simple communication techniques. One area of communication that is essential to learn is reflective listening.  We learn in the book about listeners and receivers. It is important when we communicate that we know who our receiver is and what we want our receiver to understand.  Additionally, when we are the receiver it is equally important for us to let our sender know what we think we heard so that the sender knows if his message was received accurately.  This is where reflective listening comes in.

Reflective listening includes listening attentively to what is being communicated and then indicating what we think we heard.  Examples of this would be: “If I heard you correctly, this is what I think you said…” It seems that what you are saying is….” “Am I correct in thinking you said…?”  “You seemed to be upset when you told me about…”

In addition to reflecting what we think we heard as listeners, it is also important that we are willing to listen to feedback from the sender about whether we heard the message accurately. If we did, then we were listening well.  If we miss the message or its meaning, then hopefully we will listen to our sender reframing it in a way we understand correctly.

Get Ready for the Story

Releasing physical tension:  Let’s stretch out those muscles from work and playing and let go of tension. March in place raising one knee high while bringing up your opposite arm. Alternate arms and knees and have fun as you stretch out your body.  Remember to move healthfully for yourself and only do what is comfortable. This marching movement can be done seated if it’s difficult to stand and balance.

Focusing attention:  Open your arms to the side just below waist height as you inhale fully.  Relax your arms down as you exhale. Next, open your arms while raising them to about shoulder height as you inhale, and then exhale slowly as you bring your arms down to your side. For your third breath, open your arms wide above your shoulders (ONLY IF THIS FEELS GOOD TO YOU) as you inhale, and then exhale slowly as you bring your arms down in front of you. Now you’re ready to listen and talk about the story.

Gus and the Golden Flyers Teaching Tale (Teamwork)

Gus, a young male goose, was a member of a well-known goose team, the Golden Flyers.

Geese are good team members.  They take care of each other when hurt or sick.  If a goose is a single parent, a close goose friend will often help the parent care for the little geese, ensuring they learn how to fly, swim in a straight line, and mind their manners.

The Golden Flyers were a well-known team because of their safe and speedy flying record when traveling from the warm south to the cooler north in summer and returning to the warm south as the fall chill began in the north.

This particular fall season, Gus, who was a very strong flyer with a good sense of direction, was having some pain in his right wing from playing too roughly with some of his other young goose friends.  He was beginning to worry about the long goose trip coming up as the days were growing shorter and colder.  Would his wing be able to manage the long flight south?

Gus talked with his dad and his friends about his concerns.  His flock refused to leave Gus behind.  He was a part of them and the Golden Flyers team. 

The geese take turns being leaders as they fly to give the one who flies in the lead a chance to rest from setting the pace and facing the wind first. Gus’s friends agreed that they would take Gus’s turns as the leader, sparing him and his sore wing the strain of flying in front. 

Geese talk with one another as they fly, giving directions, pointing out hazards, and suggesting food stops along the way. Gus, with his great sense of direction and very loud voice, suggested that he would be a great goose guide during the trip, especially looking for lunch stops like big corn fields on the long flight. The team thought this was a good use of Gus’s talents while his wing healed completely.

The plan worked well as his team was not willing to leave Gus behind alone and he did not want to hold up his team’s flight to the warm south.

Gus and the Golden Flyers Talking Points: (Choose the points most useful for you and your child.  If you read the story again, you might choose different talking points to extend the conversation. Try to practice reflective listening as you and your child discuss the story.)

• What does it mean to be on a team? (Work on something together? Play a sport that needs more than one person? Take turns to get something completed?)

• What are times when being on a team is more useful than doing something alone? (When a job is too big or too hard for one person to do? When people have different skills that are needed to finish something? When it’s fun to work with other people?)

• Some people enjoy being on teams. What do you think they like about it? (Making new friends? Getting help when you need it?  Learning new things?)

• When are times when being on a team might not be so much fun? (When a member isn’t helping? When you feel that you are doing all the work? When you don’t feel that others are including you?)

Working on a little project together to bring the story to life can be a bonus for a parent and child while helping them learn and practice teamwork while doing.  Think of some ways you and your parent or other family members can work as a team this week. Doing a project around the house such as pulling weeds, helping one another make the bed, or putting away groceries?

I hope you enjoyed your sample format of Do You Know How to Talk with Your Young Child?  If you did, please order it on Amazon.  It is available in Kindle and paperback formats. As one of my readers told me, “This is a good book for all ages!” If you like the book, I would love to have a positive review so other readers will find it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFJYZWTD

Thank you, again, and be well my friend,

Suanne