Ways to be a supportive listener for your child

Hazel Editorial Team

Editorial Team

This blog was informed by a conversation with Dr. Arash Anoshiravani. Dr. Anoshiravani is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at Stanford School of Medicine and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.

When children feel sad or worried about something, they may be afraid to share their emotions with their parents. You can help your child feel more comfortable expressing feelings by practicing supportive listening. Follow these steps to help make sure your child feels safe, supported, and understood throughout important conversations.

Listen actively to what your child is saying

Listen to what your child has to say. Show that the conversation is important to you by putting away your phone, turning down the television, and looking at your child (eye contact). Pay attention to what is being discussed. When a young person feels they are being listened to, it takes a huge emotional and psychological burden off of them. Listening to your child is very important for relationship building.

It's important to practice active listening. Active listening means making a conscious effort to hear and understand what is being said. Active listening means you are tuned in to your child's thoughts and feelings.

Tip: Ask open-ended questions

Some young people may feel nervous if you ask specific questions about their behavior. Instead, simply ask how they are doing and let them talk about what is going on. They will share what they are comfortable sharing, and many times this conversation will naturally lead to them opening up.

If you are concerned there is a problem, but they aren’t mentioning it, you may say, “There are so many things going on in the world right now, and there are a lot of people feeling worried, is that the same for you?” It’s best to keep your side of the conversation matter-of-fact, so they don’t feel like you expect a specific response.
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Tip: Respect your child’s boundaries

If your child isn’t ready to talk, you can respect that and let them know you are available if they ever need help. This can open a door for a future conversation while showing that you respect and trust them.

Make sure your child knows they're not alone

Sometimes a child just needs to know that many people feel the same way they do. Share with them that they are not the only ones who get nervous before a class presentation. They aren’t the only person who worries about the world. Sometimes hearing that many people share these feelings, even adults, takes a huge burden off children because they don’t feel so strange or alone.

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Reframe the situation

The last thing, aside from listening and education, is to reframe the situation. It’s helpful for young people to understand that there are many different perspectives for any given situation. You can help your child understand why a person is acting a certain way toward them. Could your teacher be strict because they want you to learn? Maybe your older brother told on you because he is trying to protect you? Could their behaviors be out of love? Often, helping a child understand a situation in a slightly different way can help them feel differently and behave differently.

Remember, it can be difficult for children to open up, but it can help to have a caring, respectful adult willing to think through things with them. The parent-child relationship has a lot of emotions wrapped up in it on both sides, so it can be equally as hard for parents to talk about some feelings with their children. If you are having trouble discussing feelings, your pediatrician can help talk with your child.

Hazel Editorial Team

Editorial Team

This blog was informed by a conversation with Dr. Arash Anoshiravani. Dr. Anoshiravani is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at Stanford School of Medicine and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.

When children feel sad or worried about something, they may be afraid to share their emotions with their parents. You can help your child feel more comfortable expressing feelings by practicing supportive listening. Follow these steps to help make sure your child feels safe, supported, and understood throughout important conversations.

Listen actively to what your child is saying

Listen to what your child has to say. Show that the conversation is important to you by putting away your phone, turning down the television, and looking at your child (eye contact). Pay attention to what is being discussed. When a young person feels they are being listened to, it takes a huge emotional and psychological burden off of them. Listening to your child is very important for relationship building.

It's important to practice active listening. Active listening means making a conscious effort to hear and understand what is being said. Active listening means you are tuned in to your child's thoughts and feelings.

Tip: Ask open-ended questions

Some young people may feel nervous if you ask specific questions about their behavior. Instead, simply ask how they are doing and let them talk about what is going on. They will share what they are comfortable sharing, and many times this conversation will naturally lead to them opening up.

If you are concerned there is a problem, but they aren’t mentioning it, you may say, “There are so many things going on in the world right now, and there are a lot of people feeling worried, is that the same for you?” It’s best to keep your side of the conversation matter-of-fact, so they don’t feel like you expect a specific response.
‍

Tip: Respect your child’s boundaries

If your child isn’t ready to talk, you can respect that and let them know you are available if they ever need help. This can open a door for a future conversation while showing that you respect and trust them.

Make sure your child knows they're not alone

Sometimes a child just needs to know that many people feel the same way they do. Share with them that they are not the only ones who get nervous before a class presentation. They aren’t the only person who worries about the world. Sometimes hearing that many people share these feelings, even adults, takes a huge burden off children because they don’t feel so strange or alone.

‍

Reframe the situation

The last thing, aside from listening and education, is to reframe the situation. It’s helpful for young people to understand that there are many different perspectives for any given situation. You can help your child understand why a person is acting a certain way toward them. Could your teacher be strict because they want you to learn? Maybe your older brother told on you because he is trying to protect you? Could their behaviors be out of love? Often, helping a child understand a situation in a slightly different way can help them feel differently and behave differently.

Remember, it can be difficult for children to open up, but it can help to have a caring, respectful adult willing to think through things with them. The parent-child relationship has a lot of emotions wrapped up in it on both sides, so it can be equally as hard for parents to talk about some feelings with their children. If you are having trouble discussing feelings, your pediatrician can help talk with your child.

Hazel Editorial Team

Editorial Team

This blog was informed by a conversation with Dr. Arash Anoshiravani. Dr. Anoshiravani is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at Stanford School of Medicine and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.

When children feel sad or worried about something, they may be afraid to share their emotions with their parents. You can help your child feel more comfortable expressing feelings by practicing supportive listening. Follow these steps to help make sure your child feels safe, supported, and understood throughout important conversations.

Listen actively to what your child is saying

Listen to what your child has to say. Show that the conversation is important to you by putting away your phone, turning down the television, and looking at your child (eye contact). Pay attention to what is being discussed. When a young person feels they are being listened to, it takes a huge emotional and psychological burden off of them. Listening to your child is very important for relationship building.

It's important to practice active listening. Active listening means making a conscious effort to hear and understand what is being said. Active listening means you are tuned in to your child's thoughts and feelings.

Tip: Ask open-ended questions

Some young people may feel nervous if you ask specific questions about their behavior. Instead, simply ask how they are doing and let them talk about what is going on. They will share what they are comfortable sharing, and many times this conversation will naturally lead to them opening up.

If you are concerned there is a problem, but they aren’t mentioning it, you may say, “There are so many things going on in the world right now, and there are a lot of people feeling worried, is that the same for you?” It’s best to keep your side of the conversation matter-of-fact, so they don’t feel like you expect a specific response.
‍

Tip: Respect your child’s boundaries

If your child isn’t ready to talk, you can respect that and let them know you are available if they ever need help. This can open a door for a future conversation while showing that you respect and trust them.

Make sure your child knows they're not alone

Sometimes a child just needs to know that many people feel the same way they do. Share with them that they are not the only ones who get nervous before a class presentation. They aren’t the only person who worries about the world. Sometimes hearing that many people share these feelings, even adults, takes a huge burden off children because they don’t feel so strange or alone.

‍

Reframe the situation

The last thing, aside from listening and education, is to reframe the situation. It’s helpful for young people to understand that there are many different perspectives for any given situation. You can help your child understand why a person is acting a certain way toward them. Could your teacher be strict because they want you to learn? Maybe your older brother told on you because he is trying to protect you? Could their behaviors be out of love? Often, helping a child understand a situation in a slightly different way can help them feel differently and behave differently.

Remember, it can be difficult for children to open up, but it can help to have a caring, respectful adult willing to think through things with them. The parent-child relationship has a lot of emotions wrapped up in it on both sides, so it can be equally as hard for parents to talk about some feelings with their children. If you are having trouble discussing feelings, your pediatrician can help talk with your child.

This blog was informed by a conversation with Dr. Arash Anoshiravani. Dr. Anoshiravani is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at Stanford School of Medicine and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford.

When children feel sad or worried about something, they may be afraid to share their emotions with their parents. You can help your child feel more comfortable expressing feelings by practicing supportive listening. Follow these steps to help make sure your child feels safe, supported, and understood throughout important conversations.

Listen actively to what your child is saying

Listen to what your child has to say. Show that the conversation is important to you by putting away your phone, turning down the television, and looking at your child (eye contact). Pay attention to what is being discussed. When a young person feels they are being listened to, it takes a huge emotional and psychological burden off of them. Listening to your child is very important for relationship building.

It's important to practice active listening. Active listening means making a conscious effort to hear and understand what is being said. Active listening means you are tuned in to your child's thoughts and feelings.

Tip: Ask open-ended questions

Some young people may feel nervous if you ask specific questions about their behavior. Instead, simply ask how they are doing and let them talk about what is going on. They will share what they are comfortable sharing, and many times this conversation will naturally lead to them opening up.

If you are concerned there is a problem, but they aren’t mentioning it, you may say, “There are so many things going on in the world right now, and there are a lot of people feeling worried, is that the same for you?” It’s best to keep your side of the conversation matter-of-fact, so they don’t feel like you expect a specific response.
‍

Tip: Respect your child’s boundaries

If your child isn’t ready to talk, you can respect that and let them know you are available if they ever need help. This can open a door for a future conversation while showing that you respect and trust them.

Make sure your child knows they're not alone

Sometimes a child just needs to know that many people feel the same way they do. Share with them that they are not the only ones who get nervous before a class presentation. They aren’t the only person who worries about the world. Sometimes hearing that many people share these feelings, even adults, takes a huge burden off children because they don’t feel so strange or alone.

‍

Reframe the situation

The last thing, aside from listening and education, is to reframe the situation. It’s helpful for young people to understand that there are many different perspectives for any given situation. You can help your child understand why a person is acting a certain way toward them. Could your teacher be strict because they want you to learn? Maybe your older brother told on you because he is trying to protect you? Could their behaviors be out of love? Often, helping a child understand a situation in a slightly different way can help them feel differently and behave differently.

Remember, it can be difficult for children to open up, but it can help to have a caring, respectful adult willing to think through things with them. The parent-child relationship has a lot of emotions wrapped up in it on both sides, so it can be equally as hard for parents to talk about some feelings with their children. If you are having trouble discussing feelings, your pediatrician can help talk with your child.

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About Hazel

Hazel Health, the leader in school-based telehealth, partners with school districts to provide mental and physical health services to K-12 students where they are–at school or home. Hazel’s diverse, culturally competent providers specialize in the health challenges of children and teens and partner with parents and school staff to make the best care decisions for students. Hazel is committed to improving health care equity and is available regardless of family income, geography, insurance status, or ability to pay. Hazel’s mission is to transform children’s access to health care, because when students feel better, they learn better.

Learn more at hazel.co.

About Hazel

Hazel Health is the nation’s largest and most trusted provider of school-based telehealth. By partnering with districts and health plans across the country, Hazel transforms schools into the most accessible front door to pediatric healthcare. Today, Hazel’s licensed providers deliver teletherapy and virtual care (in school or at home) to over four million K-12 students, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Hazel aims to remove all barriers to the mental and physical health care that children need to thrive: in school, at home, and in life.

Learn more at hazel.co.

About Hazel

Hazel Health, the leader in school-based telehealth, partners with school districts to provide mental and physical health services to K-12 students where they are–at school or home. Hazel serves nearly 2 million students across 100 school districts, helping to reduce chronic absenteeism and unfinished learning by addressing gaps in health care access. As an extension of the school health team, Hazel helps schools immediately address student physical and mental health care needs. Hazel’s mission is to transform children’s access to health care because when students feel better, they learn better.

Learn more at Hazel.co/hazel-in-schools.

About Hazel

Hazel Health, the leader in school-based telehealth, partners with school districts to provide mental and physical health services to K-12 students where they are–at school or home. Hazel helps school districts address chronic absenteeism, unfinished learning, and school enrollment, by addressing gaps in health care access.

Learn more at Hazel.co/hazel-in-schools.

About Hazel

Hazel Health, the leader in school-based telehealth, partners with school districts and families to provide mental and physical health services to K-12 students where they are–at school or home. Instead of waiting for an appointment with a doctor or therapist, children can see a Hazel provider for a telehealth visit, at no cost to families. With guardian permission, Hazel’s telehealth platform allows children to connect with a health care provider within minutes, or a therapist within days of referral. Hazel’s providers can help with everything from allergies and stomach aches to anxiety and depression. With Hazel, children can get the care they need when they need it.

Learn more at Hazel.co/how-hazel-works.

About Hazel

Hazel Health, the leader in school-based telehealth, partners with school districts and families to provide mental and physical health services to K-12 students where they are–at school or home. At no cost, and regardless of insurance status, Hazel’s providers can help with everything from allergies and stomach aches to anxiety and depression. With Hazel, children can get the care they need when they need it.

Learn more at Hazel.co/how-hazel-works.