Colleen Thompson LMFT

Therapist, Parent Coach and Author

Can you find these in the book

“Cousins Listening Adventures in the Wilderness”

Activities and Questions from Cousins

Talk about it:

1. What are some things that could have happened to the wild animal babies if they had not FIRST TIME LISTENED to their mothers? What can a parent or caregiver do to help kids LISTEN the FIRST TIME they ask them to do something?

2. Nature reveals to us God’s beauty in His creation of animal and human babies. How do wild animal parents communicate and care for their young and how do animal babies/children communicate their needs to caregivers?

3. How could they apply FIRST TIME LISTENING skills when they go home to their families after their summer visit with their grandparents?

Practice it:

1. When an adult is talking to me, I will STOP and look them in the eyes, so I can better understand and hear what they are saying to me.

2. I can challenge myself to do what I’m asked the FIRST TIME by repeating back to myself what I’ve been asked to do.

3. When a trusted adult asks me to do something I don’t want to do, then I need to Calm myself down and make a good decision to do what is asked the FIRST TIME.

4. I will agree to lose my preferred activity for the day, if I choose to not FIRST TIME LISTEN. I look forward to setting up a reward system for working on better FIRST TIME LISTENING.