Conversation

I gleaned these points from a pinterest post on teaching your child the art of conversation. It's really good, and if you're raising little people, look it up... for the rest of us...points to ponder and practice: Being a good conversationalist is a way of demonstrating courtesy. Self-sacrifice. Love. A conversation is an opportunity to care for someone. It’s not about being efficient or entertained. Ask children to stay engaged in conversation...yep, that means not checking your phone or Ipod. Be with the people you are with. Help kids to maintain eye contact and even give small facial or verbal affirmations when someone is speaking. Teach children the connection between interrupting and selfishness—that interrupting displays our lack of value for the person in front of us. Teach questions that take a conversation further. What happened then? What was that like? Remind kids to pray silently for wise, loving words that build up. Help your kids to “see” the people who serve them, and verbally appreciate them: the lady cleaning the bathrooms, the guy mopping the restaurant, the church staff. Grace matters. If we can teach grace in speech, no matter what the circumstances, we’ve given kids a timeless key to countless doors.