Being a good listener means you are easy to talk to. You can handle whatever your patient tells you without overeacting. You validate feelings before rushing in to fix them, and you can sit with difficult emotions. From toddlerhood through their teens, children need adults to listen much more than they need us to speak. Even the best advice in the world doesn't replace the feeling of being heard.

Here's what you can do in practice:

Try modeling this for parents by asking questions, actively listening to answers, validating and restating what you've heard, and avoiding major reactions or a rush to judgement. By doing this, you'll help normalize this behavior for parents, and make it easier for their children to talk openly in the future.