Is it okay for kids to overhear us listening to Love and Logic audios, know we are taking the classes or see us reading the books? Yes!
At the Love and Logic Institute, we often say that such things:
1) Raise the odds they will be great parents some day. And, by the way, we are completely serious. The skills in Love and Logic materials help us to be more intentional about the things we want to impart to our kids. And they will remember at least some of those lessons. Ask anyone who was raised with love and Logic (we’ve been around since 1977) and see if they don’t have some Love and Logic wisdom come leaking out when talking to their own kids.
2) Send a message that being a great parent is important to us. If we think about it, is it a bad thing for kids to hear that we are trying to become the best parents or educators we can? We know parents who will say to their kids: “You are just so important to me. I want to learn as much as I can and do the best job raising you that I can.” What a great message for kids to receive: ‘You are this important to me.’
3) Teach healthy relationship skills for other areas of life. Because Love and Logic is about authentic relationships, we don’t need to worry that kids are going to learn our ‘tricks’. If they hear or overhear us gaining better people skills or relationship skills, that’s a good thing. So much of what they learn is from example and by using Love and Logic skills, we are modeling respectful ways to treat others.
A final benefit of kids being aware that we are learning Love and Logic skills is that they tend to test us less. Many adults have told us that when kids know parents are armed with skills, the kids test them less and are less likely to push boundaries and limits. Think about it – if you know somebody has a black belt, you are less likely to challenge them to a ‘match’.
So do not worry or fret when kids overhear you listening to a Love and Logic audio or even when they say, “You’re just using that Love and Logic stuff!”
You might answer, “Thanks for noticing. I’ve been working on my skills but I have a long way to go.”
Jedd Hafer
