About listening partnerships
One thing I wish I had done earlier was to find a listening partner* with whom I could share how I was feeling.
We are supporting our children to release their feelings of hurt and tension, (which they are so good at doing through crying and laughter). A listening partnership is our opportunity to let go of our feelings - those related to bringing up children, to parenting differently than our parents or families, the disagreements with our partner or co-parent, and everything in between.
A listening partnership is the single most effective & valuable tool in my parenting. And they are free and easy to do. You find someone you'd like to exchange listening time with, set up a time and then you take turns to talk and listen. You can start with a friend you trust or you can find a listening partner whom you've never met (there's a Facebook group for that). All that is required is that they have an interest in parenting well.
Truly being listened to, without interruptions, is refreshing, uplifting and lightens our load so we can more easily connect with our children and truly listen to their feelings. More often than not, solutions to the problems that weigh on your mind will become evident thanks to the other person's attention and respect.
I have a listening partner with whom I speak most weeks, as well as a listening partner that I exchange voice messages with. I feel refuelled after speaking to them, we cry, we laugh and we listen and I can honestly say I wouldn't have survived this year without them.
This is one of the main reasons why I've set up the Aware Parenting Mother's Circle. The desire to form a community of like-minded parents willing to parent well, support and hold each other, a virtual village to make up for the villages we don't have.
Are you curious about a listening partnership? If you would like to find a listening partner or ask questions about how they work, I invite you to join the Facebook group.
*listening partnerships is a term from Hand in Hand parenting. They’re also called empathy buddies in Aware Parenting.