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Childhood Experiences and Listening Skills


What do your childhood experiences have to do with listening skills? A lot! Believe it or not, most listening skills and styles get their roots in childhood. We are taught as youngsters how to listen to others, what good communication skills are, and how to express ourselves in a conversation. So the experiences you had in this area as a child are definitely a big influence on the type of listener you are today.

Children are often so busy being stimulated that they tune out what is being said around them. They are so over-stimulated today that they are not actively engaged in conversation with others. Many parents recognize that their child is not listening or responding; but rather than teach them ways to become better listeners, they simply state that they are not listening or demand that the child listen.

Having a poor attention span is a recipe for disaster when it comes to being a good listener. Children have many distractions that contribute to diminishing their attention span, including:

- television;

- movies;

- video games;

- computers;

- iPods.


Other electronic devices get their attention, but lead them to tune out what is going on around them. Oftentimes, children seem to zone into what they are watching on television and are not aware of what is going on around them.

Children today are beginning to watch television from the time they are born. While they may not be watching, many parents are putting young infants in front of the television to be entertained. But they could be doing more harm than good, according to several research studies that have been conducted.

Good listening skills usually begin in childhood. Then, as people mature, they carry on what they have learned. If you did not gain good listening skills as a child, you probably will not be a good listener as an adult. However, it is never too late to learn those skills! In later lessons, you will learn about ways you can improve learning skills, as well as how to help instill good listening skills in children, so you can help those around you.



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