Listening to Your Kids: Creating Space to Hear Their Voice

In Matthew 19:14, Jesus says, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ I can picture Jesus sitting there with open ears – listening to their stories, hearing their hearts, and resonating with their laughter and tears! He invited them unto Himself – into a 2-way conversation that involved listening and speaking. I have been challenged to begin hearing more from my own kids. A couple of nights ago my oldest daughter came to me with a question. I knew exactly where she was headed so I responded with an immediate ‘no’ without completely hearing her side of the story. My wife proceeded to challenge me to hear Lorelei out instead of jumping to conclusions without knowing her heart. Our kids need to be invited into conversations where we are all ears! Listen to their stories even if they don’t make sense. Celebrate their joy and laughter. Wrap your arms around them during moments of sorrow and sadness. Listen to them even if they may be wrong! There is value in our kids knowing their voice is important! Create space to hear them with an open heart and mind! As parents, it is easy to jump to conclusions. Our pride can easily get in the way of hearing our children. Listening to them will create space for spiritual growth in ways you cannot even imagine. Have them read passages during family devotions. Allow them to pray before meals – even if it turns into a giggle fest! There is so much we will learn from and about our kids when we listen to them with open ears! They will teach us what it means to be humble and it will help create memories full of laughter and joy that last a lifetime! What are you doing to create space to hear from your kids? Are you approaching them with open ears? Learn from Jesus and invite your children into a relational conversation where your ears are open to their voice!