Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw – Podcast Ep 26

In this latest podcast episode, the 26^th in my series, we continue a recap of the central theme of my latest book project which is a parenting guide.  If you’ve been following my endeavors (and if you have, I thank you wholeheartedly), then you know that I recently assembled and published my first book designed FOR PARENTS. The book is titled I LIKE HOW YOU SPEAK TO ME… A PARENT’S GUIDE FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH CHILDREN, and it’s designed as a “how to” for parents, family members or teachers.  As the title states so directly, this book was assembled to provide parents, teachers and any adult really, a clear path to effective communication with children.

My new parenting book is divided into three sections, and the first section of the book lays out what I call my “10 Governing Principles” for communicating with children. These ten principles are interlocking and essential, and when one understands these principles and exercises the muscle of using them ALL, communication with children will be clear and effective.

For the last number of weeks on my podcasts I have been examining each of the ten governing principles for effective communication with children, one at a time, podcast after podcast. This podcast contains the EIGHTH discussion in that series, and the eighth governing principle that I’ve outlined as essential for communicating with children is to CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING.

While it sounds very obvious, parent-child communication cannot exist if your child doesn’t understand what you are saying.  In order to ascertain that there is understanding, you check and double-check that your messages are clear and understood. The way to do this is to ask… ask your child to repeat back to you what you expressed to them. If they cannot, make sure that you re-state what you intended to communicate.  REMEMBER, the onus is on you as the adult to make sure that your child understands. Perhaps you were not clear the first time… perhaps you needed to say what you wanted to say in a different way… but, regardless of the circumstance, it is your responsibility to be understood and to check for understanding. Communication cannot be effective without understanding.

My new parenting book has two more sections in addition to the Ten Governing Principles for Effective Communication with Children. The book also includes a short children’s picture book that models how to communicate with children, and that’s followed by a Q&A section where I answer the ten most frequently asked questions that I received from parents (plus one bonus question). I’m very proud of this book, and you can find my new parenting guide here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WJRX7JF

The next podcast will focus on the eighth governing principle from my new book for parents, so please stay tuned for that. Thanks for visiting and for listening.  You can hear Podcast 26 here:

https://learnwithmeremotely.podbean.com/e/teaching-humanity-remotely-with-dr-mindy-shaw-ep-26/