Abigail responds to a mom who has difficulties answering her young daughter's questions – most likely because it feels like answering will confirm her child's worst suspicions!
And Elle admits finding some of her kid's simple questions difficult – especially when they ask her if she's leaving for work.
Even when she's half out the door, she admits, she doesn't want to ‘fess up and just tell them she's going.
What's going on?
Avoidance!
Getting Honest about Honest Parenting
This week on the podcast Abigail and Elle get honest about answering children's questions honestly.
Abigail talks about how children pick up on avoidance, and the science of how the brain perceives what you see and feel, plus the confusion that ensues when presented with a different picture.
The hosts also reveal why some parents do feel uncomfortable with some questions and not others, and they share how to lean into questions, rather than make judgments about what a child is feeling, or simply run away!
If you've ever felt put on the spot and not wanting to answer your child's questions, join Abigail and Elle for an honest discussion on why, ultimately, it pays to answer kids questions honestly whenever possible – and how to do this in a way that will actually bring you and your children closer!
In this week's Episode:Â
- Why don't we want to answer our kids' questions anyway?
- How we can send our children tracking signals off if we avoid their questions
- How being honest where possible sets kids up well for the future
- Why we can better respond when we attempt to uncover the why behind questions
- How to make answering questions about curiosity and connection, not battles and stand-offs
More Resources for Answering Your Kids Questions Honestly
Here's the e-book on decoding How Children's Emotions Work that Elle mentions, and this article talks about answering kids' core questions well.
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