The Power of Listening Part II: Friends, Family, and Partners
Giving one another our attention is powerful. It signals that we are interested. It invites the speaker to continue to engage with us. It communicates that we are interested not only in their story, but in them. It is a subtle sign of acceptance, of inclusion, and of worth. It doesn’t mean we agree with the speaker, but it does mean that we see them.
The Power of Listening Part I Babies: Listening to Pre-verbal Children
Caregivers are key in children’s development. One of the things you notice the minute you start studying infants and those who care for them is the interactions or exchanges between the two. A typical baby is born with pretty good hearing and pretty poor eyesight. Yet that underdeveloped eyesight’s one spot of focus is about 8 inches away from the baby’s own face; usually about the place a mother or father’s face will be when the baby is held. Nature sets us up to focus on the people who will keep us alive and teach us about the world.