There’s so much you can say without saying anything at all, especially when it comes to parenting in Massachusetts. Dr. Alisa Van Langeveld is a relationship expert, adjunct professor in Family Studies at the University of Utah, and a mom of 4. She teaches parenting skills online at “10 Minutes Together” where she focuses on the power of one-on-one connection.
Today she wanted to share how nonverbal communication can be used as a powerful tool in both positive and harmful ways. She hopes to teach viewers how to harness that power to be the best parent they can be.
Connecting with our kids can feel challenging in our busy lives, but communication is extremely important. It’s an interactive process to share parts of ourselves with another. There can be a lot of opportunities for misunderstanding or disconnection within this process. Van Langeveld explains that how we package our message matters. Believe it or not, nonverbal communication is more powerful than even verbal.
- Facial Expressions, smiling, eye contact
- Paralinguistics (tone, inflection, rate, pitch, volume, non-word sounds)
- Body language (height, stance, PROXIMITY)
- Touch, hug
Nonverbal communication happens emotionally and we don’t always process them, we just feel them. Therefore it is not always the words that we say, but how we say them. It’s the most powerful way we communicate and connect, therefore it can be used as a superpower in parenting. If we can choose to bundle our communication with care and love, that keeps us connected with our kids, even in challenging moments.
Harnessing our nonverbal communication is all about being SELF AWARE in how we interact with our kids. Deliberately choosing nonverbal actions that communicate love.
- REVIEW. Consider your nonverbal messaging.
- Take action to connect TODAY. Pick one type and try it. Today.
- STAY AWARE in difficult moments. Choose a nonverbal action that shows care, even if the words are challenging. Silence is not an enemy. Doing nothing is.
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