Do You Hear……or are You Listening?????

Stop.

Find something that your child (diabetes or not) is doing that you can say, “Nice Job’.  Out children are incredible, are they not?  Either they have diabetes or they are the sibling to someone with diabetes and they go along their day with all of their ‘monumental problems’ and it is good if every now and again we remind them how special they are.

Oh sure, the room may be a wreck, but if they made the attempt, let them know it.  Any little thing they do…..congratulate them on one of them.  If my kids have something to tell me, even at this stage in their lives when they are between 19-27, I try to focus on what they have to say.

Their busy little lives are very full and many times we push them because of….well….life.  Find the time.

Many of my nieces and nephews are now getting married and have started their families.  They marvel at their new child and of course us old timers are quick to remind them……..enjoy every second because it will be gone before you know it.

It will be gone before you know it.

My Uncle Michael was a wonderful actor.  He was in the business for years and has been gone for a few years now.  I learned something from him that I will always cherish; he was good listener.  A very good listener.  I have to work at it, my brother Joe has mastered listening as my Uncle had.  If Joe is in a conversation with you, he is focused just on you and distraction is pretty hard to do to him.

So if your kids have something to say, start practicing now until it becomes easy, listen to them.  Tell them how great their story was and how you enjoyed it. I get it, we all have a million and one things on your plate but remember this; whatever it is that your child wants to tell you; out of the million things that happen to them during their day, they chose to tell you THIS story—–it is important to them.

I know we hear our kids…….but enjoy listening also, you will find them much more attentive to you across the board and they have some pretty exciting stuff to share.  They may have also something very important that you may otherwise…….miss.

Try it.

I am a diabetes dad.

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