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Listening First
by Dorothy Lee Fulton
I have not had the privilege to have children but I have had the opportunity to teach them for many years. In my work, I learned a very important lesson. Children need to be listened to. They only become difficult when they are ignored. Children have so much to share and they are full of love. It is a pity when adults choose to ignore them. And it hurts the child. Instead of telling them to go play all the time, we can show them our love by entering their worlds.
Children give us so many opportunities to share with them. For example, when a child comes home from school with a drawing he has made, instead of simply sticking it up on the fridge, we can ask him about it. "What inspired you to draw this? What were you thinking of? Why did you choose those colors?" And through his answers we just might get a glimpse of heaven.
It is also important to teach children kindness. When I was a child, my Mother told me to be especially kind to those who were left out or were having a hard time. And if someone wronged me, she would give me something to give to them--an apple or a cookie. Showing them kindness or showing them someone cared made the difference. It helped them turn around. I also saw how children who received attention, when they saw somebody cared, did better in school.
That is why I am convinced that love, listening and caring is what helps children become the best they can be.
Dorothy Lee Fulton is a music composer. She founded and directed music schools for children and adults for more than 20 years, and taught children one-on-one. She is the founder of COSMIC PORTALS music company and director of Cosmic Portals Choir.
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