We believe in enhancing young people’s critical thinking through dedicated listening.

You can choose to listen to young people. Dedicate some time to listen, really listen. So, what might that look like?

• Find a spot to sit with your young person where you won’t be distracted (not in front of a TV, computer game, ipad etc.)
• Free your mind of everything else. As thoughts try to invade and distract you (for example what to cook for dinner, or what movie you are planning to watch tonight), try to force them out and focus on the young person.
• Sit forward and focus on their face. What are they trying to tell you? Try to gain as much information about the message that they are conveying from their facial expressions as from the words that are coming out of their mouth.
• If they falter at all in their story, they might need reassurance. Nod your head, and say “yes go on” to encourage them to continue.

You guessed it! It’s what you might do at work if you were trying to make a customer happy, clinch a deal with a client or gain your boss’s approval! But this time you really mean it, and care about what your young person is saying.