Let’s hug it out!

One day, I was having dinner with my daughter and my son (11 and 10 years old, respectively) at home and I was trying to share with them that I was unhappy that when I talk to them about a problem, they seem to not take it seriously or they don’t acknowledge my feelings and requests. At the end of the discussion, I am more irritated than when I started so I sat quietly for a minute. My daughter asked, “what do we do now? Do we hug it out?”. In that moment, I realized that it did not matter if we solved the problem, what matter was that we connected. I said “yes [her name], I think that is a great idea”. Both my kids stood up and both hugged from each side of the table. And my heart was happy.

NVC (nonviolent communication) is a powerful framework that teaches me new things almost everyday. Four months+ after that dinner, “let’s hug it out” is one of my family’s favorite things to do when we are not happy. We have discovered a safe way to connect when words are received they way we did not intend. I can suggest to you to give it a try, but in reality, NVC is not about seeing or hearing something and reacting to it in a predefined way; NVC is about tailoring your responses to the individual or to the group.

Thus, on March 1st, visit our site and learn how you can learn NVC with an active listening flavor to achieve a peaceful and balanced life.