Right now we’re struggling with my younger daughter’s need to constantly tell us “one more thing.” Whether it is smack in the middle of the day, or after we have put her in bed for the night, there is always one more thing to be told, even if she is wracking her brain to figure out what that one more thing is.
On the one hand, it is great that she is so interested in talking with us and sharing her thinking (I imagine at some point this will stop). But, on the other, there is always a time and place.
How do we welcome her desire to share and talk, while at the same time showing her that we all need to be cognizant of when those times are, and how best to share (i.e. think before we speak, try and be clear and concise, etc.)?
And, in all fairness, she’s three.
So, we have to balance our wants with what a three year old is developmentally ready to do. But, we also shouldn’t have to battle our three year old to stay in bed when she wants to get out for the thirty-first time to tell us “one more thing.”
In our work as parents, people, learners, and leaders, we have to make sure that we hear everyone, while at the same time reinforcing that we have to hear everyone, and the squeaky wheel can’t always be the only one that gets the grease, so to speak.
We can emphasize this by being clear that our job is to represent everyone, including those who might be less inclined to speak loudly or to speak often. We also need to make sure we are doing all that we can to reach those who might be our quieter voices. How are we hearing them? What steps are we taking to make sure these folks are represented in our decision-making? How are we reinforcing that everyone needs to have a voice, and therefore everyone needs to learn to monitor their air time (especially me)?
Providing constant voice, while also balancing the need for constant “melody”, so to speak, is never easy. But, it is necessary in order for a community to form. True communities recognize all who live, work, and play there, and our schools, districts, and organization are no different.