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➡️Keep reading even more for: NORIKO’S NOTES: sharing my life’s simple joys 💜
Explaining with More Than Just Words
“Take turns when you talk” sounds simple—and it may be, for some. But for many kids, those words are vague and confusing.
They may not notice when a conversation becomes one-sided or when it's their turn to jump in.
When something isn’t visible, it’s harder to understand—and harder to practice. This is why unwritten social rules can be so hard to learn and master.
I like to use my "conversation arrows"!
Here is a photo from a real session
~ this was a 3 person conversation written out in arrows.
How I Use Arrows to Teach Conversation Flow
1) Place a large whiteboard face up on top of a table
2) Participants sit around the table
3) Each time someone speaks to another person, draw an arrow from the speaker to the listener.
4) When the listener responds, draw another arrow going back to the speaker.
5) If another person wants to ask a follow up question about that topic, they also get an arrow drawn on the whiteboard.
And so on…
After a few minutes, we pause and look at the board:
“Are the arrows going in all different ways?”
"Do you see arrows between everyone or just some?"
"Do some people have more arrows than others?"
“What happens when the arrows are only going one direction?”
✨ The arrows turn the unspoken rules of conversation into something concrete and visual.
✨ In my experience, being able to 'see' the unwritten rules in a concrete way significantly helps the child (or adult) learn and gain the skills.
✨ Coming Thursday:
We’ll use LEGO bricks to create a visual representation of conversation balance—something kids can actually build together!
NORIKO'S NOTES: sharing my life's simple joys💜
Last weekend, we traveled to San Diego for a quick family trip. We spent time at the beach and visited the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (which I still catch myself calling the Wild Animal Park—old habits from when we lived there years ago!).
It was such a great day—just the four of us hanging out, learning about animals, cracking jokes, and enjoying each other’s company.
Most of you know by now: I LOVE TO PLAY.
Some might call it immature (LOL), but I call it young at heart!
I’d always rather enjoy the journey and share laughs along the way than rush to the destination.
And honestly, I love that my kids still put up with me—and even play along 😂. Thanks Jake and Emma!!
⬆️Husband taking a photo of son taking a silly photo of me!
⬆️Funny kids ~ I hope you never get too old, too rushed, and too serious to be bats!
Thank you for letting me share my simple joy💜 .
Gratefully yours,
Noriko
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Noriko Abenojar, MSW PPS
Parenting REdefined
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