The Blog: ministry, music, media
Listening With the Kids posted on March 25, 2009
Dear Friends,
I was thinking about parenting this morning and how challenging it is to get inside the head of the kids to have a clue what they are thinking, praying, hoping and trying. We do this perhaps because we would like to know that they are well, spiritually vital and emotionally healthy. Sometimes we get so busy that we do not give the children a chance to tell us who they are. And then we get so busy, we forget how important it is to ask and to, listen.
I know I wanted to be listened to as child, didn’t you?
As a musician, I studied listening. Still do. As a pastor, one does a great deal of listening, which is a blessing. I learned something about listening a few years back while I ran a not for profit preschool and daycare. Loved most of that experience by the way, and some of it was so heart wrenching I can’t even begin to tell you about it right now.
One of the things that I loved was listening with the children. At the end of a warm day, before the last of the parents came to pick up their babes, a couple of us would take the kids outside to sit by the pond that was next to the church in which we were located. We would just sit to be very quiet and listen.
The children would point out the sounds of bugs, water, ducks or wind. It was better than movies and television.
They would talk about how the bugs would talk to the flower they landed on, or how the ducks talked to each other. If we had time they would make up stories about all these sights and sounds. As the adult, I just listened.
You can tell kids a lot of stuff, but sometimes you have to just sit and listen to what they notice in the world. You can do this with them through natural landscapes, cityscapes and of course, Common Good Radio. Listening to music is great fun, fills the spirit with new breath and can be a doorway to transcendence. If you listen to the music of CGR with the children you love, you prayerfully will experience these things together - and hopefully you will like it as much as the children do!
I hope you will join Common Good Radio Club and consider sending us your stories to share between the songs. Your stories of hope and love because you are listening to one another will inspire others to do the same. It all makes the children part of the common good, and that sounds like something good to me.
blessings for the common good with grace, peace and love (GPL),
Pastor Robin
There are 4 comments “Listening With the Kids” was posted by Pastor Robin
Comments
2
LIstening with the kids is really important.
By dsginger on October 15, 2010
3
I like to listen with my kids, I appreciate the support.
By mocherie on October 29, 2011
4
First of all i would like to thank you for the great and informative entry.I have to admit that I have never heard about this information I have noticed many new facts for me. Thanks a lot for sharing this useful and attractive information and I will be waiting for other interesting posts from you in the nearest future.keep it up.
1
wow - thanks for the help. As a dad, good to find your blog.
By BALEN on October 11, 2010