🌟Weekly Inspiration🌟

One day this past week, two of my three children asked me to “Please stop talking!” 😉

I have a tendency, as do many parents, to talk a lot, process, teach, explain, lecture, debate, explore…and my family occasionally gives me the reminder that I need! Less is often more in this arena. Often to calm our own anxiety or to control those we live with, we go on and on. It’s not necessary and usually counterproductive. Our loved ones turn off their ears and don’t even catch half of what we are saying. Then we become frustrated and it can end in an argument or disconnection.

When parenting teenagers, we start to notice our children talking less to us overall (even about positive stuff around school, friendships, etc). This is sad but developmentally normal. Sometimes they are in the mood and quite chatty—soak those moments up! Often they grunt or give short answers at home—it’s often not personal and good to remember it goes with their age. If we don’t force conversation all the time and try to respect their growing independence, I find that they eventually come around to talk 😊.

Ask yourself:
 

Do I talk too much? Is it hard for me to catch myself and stop talking?
Why do I talk too much in parenting? What am I anxious about?
Do I just like to be in charge and hold court in the house?
Did my parents talk too much? What worked for me and what did not?
Do you notice that sons and daughters respond differently to the amount of your chatter? Is it gender, age, or personality of my child that influences their response to my talking style?
Could I make a small shift so that I am less annoying/bossy/anxious? Could my family give me a gentle reminder when I need it?

Good luck