How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Kids Will Talk

At the end of the day, children and adults alike respond to a similar sentiment above anger and aggression: empathy. Like ourselves, our children want to be understood and heard and validated, even in the instances where we might not agree with their opinion. The world is rarely black and white, so in order to best prepare tomorrow’s youth for the struggles they will encounter, we must teach them to acknowledge their emotions, compromise, and recognize and consider the emotions of others, too. Through self-expression and effective communication, children develop autonomy and begin to cultivate a unique sense of selves that will carry them through to adulthood. What you say matters, undeniably, but ultimately, children care about what you do.

Adele Faber was born in New York City in 1928. The well-known author and parenting expert has written several books about communication between children and their caretakers. She is also a former faculty member of The New School for Social Research in New York and The Family Life Institute of Long Island University. She currently resides in Long Island, New York.

Elaine Mazlish received a degree in theater arts from New York University before teaching and developing drama programs for children in settlement houses in New York City. Along with Adele Faber, Mazlish also served as faculty at The New School for Social Research in New York and The Family Life Institute of Long Island University. The two authors worked in tandem to develop workshops and books based on the child-rearing philosophies of Dr. Haim Ginott, a renowned psychotherapist.