Our journey through parenthood is a constant learning experience. Every day a new parenting challenge appears. Here at International Elf Service our focus and ethos centres around around helping parents along this adventurous path while, most of all, supporting children’s emotional wellness through play, literacy and imagination.
And the key to it all is open communication.
At the start of their lives, our gorgeous babies told us with a gentle wimper (or a full-blown scream) whenever they were hungry, tired or generally unhappy. But a few years down the line, and it’s not quite so easy. They can talk.
And yet, they may not. They may find it just as hard now to articulate their thoughts and fears as it was when they could only communicate through various levels of noise. And that’s a concern for all of us parents, whether we be first timers, or on number five or six. All our children are different, all their problems are different and how they deal with them are so very different.
Right now emotions are overwhelming for all of us. We’re probably all struggling with them in some way or another. But the remedy is quite simple – we talk about it. A problem shared really is a problem halved. But our children may not see it quite so clearly. How can we get them to talk about their feelings without piling on the pressure? How do we find the right balance between showing that we care and meddling in their affairs? Not easy. But totally doable.
We just need to listen.
Personally I find the best approach is to start small and build up from there. Make some special one-to-one time with your child, enjoying a simple activity that you know they love. It might be baking a cake, going for a walk, playing a game or generally hanging out. Whatever you and they choose, make it low key and easy-going, an opportunity to relax together and have a laugh or a joke with each other.
And let them talk.
And you just listen.
It doesn’t really matter what they talk about – it might be a computer game, a recent school rumour or a smattering of particle physics – and it doesn’t really matter if you don’t understand. You can show interest by asking them questions and learning something new, while bonding with them on their turf – where they feel safe, secure and in control.
And soon enough, once they feel comfortable and open to chatting, and often without you even having to ask anything specific, they’ll start to weave in any personal worries that they may have.
This makes an important parent-child connection, vital to your son or daughter’s well-being, self-esteem and development. When you listen without comment, judgement or criticism they should feel confident to talk to you at any time. And this is the goal – open communication. Knowing that they are heard, that their feelings are important to you and that you are completely unshockable.
Our unique, handcrafted Fairy and Tooth Fairy Letters and personalised letter bundles make brilliant, and magical, conversation starters for parents and their children. They cover childhood topics such as worrying, bad dreams, feeling cross, special needs, owning up, fear of failure and loss. And they are all specially designed to deliver ‘big messages in little letters’, helping children to deal with complex feelings and situations. See our Fairy & Tooth Fairy Letter Guide for our full range.
And they create beautiful memories for your child, giving them a feeling security from being listened to and loved by you … all whilst reading magical mail from Faraway Lands and chatting to you about them.
Hide these magical letters among the family’s mail, stash them among the toys, or leave them mysteriously peeking out from under their pillow. Wherever they find them, they’ll feel as though Fairy Magic has been delivered directly to their door!
All International Elf Service letters are personalised and printed on the most beautiful 100% recycled paper.
Personalised letters … Inspired by children … Delivered by magic!
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