PAUSE. ASK. REFLECT.PARENTING EDUCATION · BY Frank Taylor, LMHC | Florida License MH28877
Pause and notice.
Notice whether you are ready to listen or ready to win. If you need to pause, name when you will return.
“I want to listen properly. I need a moment to settle. Let’s come back to this in 20 minutes.”
Ask what they need.
Before jumping to solutions, make room for their preference.
“Would you like me to listen, help think of options, or give you some space first?”
Reflect what you hear.
Check your understanding without assuming you have the whole story. Leave space for them to correct you.
“It sounds like the hardest part was ____. Did I understand that?”
One sentence I want to try.
Use your own words. Something small and honest is enough.
Frank Taylor, LMHC | Florida License MH28877
General parenting education. Not therapy, diagnosis, or crisis care.