My wife has recently started playing a game with my daughter before bed time. I am just an observer and I am amazed by the sheer power of the game despite its simplicity.
Here’s how to play the game:
Ask your child, "What’s your happiest moment of today?" And followed by, "What’s your saddest moment of today?"
Yes, that simple. Then just keep your mouth shut and listen without making comments. Just acknowledge what you hear. And my daughter likes the game so much, she created her own questions like "Mommy, what about what I am most upset with?"
What do you think we did? Of course, let her talk and complain about what she wanted to say. Sometimes, I just giggled silently to the answers she gave.
But that’s not all. The best part is I am amazed to find out how my daughter thinks. Once, I was the "object" for making her angry one day. "Daddy talked to me very loudly when she asked me to tidy up the toys." she said.
To me, of course, I didn’t agree that I was rough when I spoke to her because as far as I was concerned, I did talk to her nicely. But this was not what she thought. By listening to her sharing her inner thoughts, I discover how she thinks and how she weighs certain things more than others. This is a good way to learn what makes her tick and how I can be more careful when dealing with her.
I must thank my wife for initiating this bedtime game. It’s an eye-opener indeed.
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