Have you tried to talk to someone who doesn’t make  eye contact with you?  How do you know if the person you are talking with is really listening.

In some cultures, making eye contact with the person you are talking to, is a rude gesture, but in the Unites States, it could be considered a rude gesture not to make eye contact.

It is hard to really listen to someone. Eye contact, body language, feedback, no cell phones,….how exhausting. But doable…

Tomorrow, when you talk to anyone, boss, child, friends, anyone, try this:

Let the person know how much time you have to talk. If it is a child, give this information to them in concrete terms. For example, when the timer goes off, we have to stop talking for now, but we’ll talk again after your nap.

Get to eye level of the person you are really listening to…to make eye contact…for a child, this means sitting  down or stooping. For someone in a wheelchair, it will most likely mean sitting

Sit or stand at least arms length from the person…so you are not too close.

This is the hard part….don’t talk unless you are providing feedback to what the person is saying.

Body Language..Lean forward, keep arms unfolded . Have you tried to talk to someone and tell them something that is on your mind or share something that is very important to you just to see the person with their arms folded, or their bodies in a slouched position? This may make you feel like NOT sharing….

This seems like a no -brainer, but we all forget…..to REALLY LISTEN…

NURTURING NONNI

Nurturing yourself should not have to take a lot of time. Nurturing can take place by just closing your eyes and thinking of an image that is peaceful and relaxing. An image of the ocean, mountains, lake, a spiritual image may be helpful.

When you are sitting at your desk at work or watching children play, nurturing can take place and no one will even notice.

Just by squeezing your toes and relaxing them, squeezing your thighs and relaxing them, and working this tension and relaxation from your toes to your eyes can take just a few minutes and can help to not only relax you, but provide some energy to go on….

Today is the day nurturing begins. We can do it together!

I am the Nurturing Nonni and I could not wait to share what I know with you and I wish that you will share what you know with me. I grew up in a loving Italian American family. I have been lucky enough to live to see how grandparenting works…by watching my parents grandparent my children and my two nephews. I also taught parenting classes for 18 years and had parents, grandparents, and nannies take my classes and together we learned and shared so much. My mother used to say, you can’t touch being a grandparent with a ten foot pole. Whenever grandchildren stepped into a room with my parents, their world lit up. Their grandchildren brightened their days until the day they left this earth. It is truly unexplainable because it is a feeling inside that is very difficult to explain into words. It seems to be that the grandparents and grandchildren have a connection that is not describable with words but a connection that remains for life and beyond.