Clarissa's Corner

Remarkable things can happen!

By Clarissa Woodworth,

Program Coordiantor,

SLV Mental Health Center

Did you know that research has found that remarkable things can happen if parents and caregivers spend at least 15 minutes of undivided time a day listening and talking with their children? Research also tells us that children really do look to their parents and caregivers for advice and help about difficult choices and decisions.

The questions below are part of the original "15+ Make Time To Listen... Take Time to Talk" Initiative by The Center for Mental Health Services and were designed to be used as a part of a "win-win" game where everyone gets a chance to LISTEN and TALK.

The basis of the game is to get to know more about your family, friends, and caregivers by honestly answering the questions and carefully listening to the replies.

There are no rules since everyone is a winner. However, you can only be a winner if you honestly answer the questions, take a chance on opening true conversations and REALLY LISTENING to responses.

Here are some questions to get conversations started and, you do not have to finish all the questions to continue talking. Questions:

• What was the best thing that happened to you today?
• What do you love about school/work?
• What does success mean to you?
• What makes you scared?
• What do you remember about your first day at school?
• What three things make a person popular in your school/at work?
• What makes you laugh?
• Why do you think some kids/adults dress differently?
• What makes you angry?
• Where would you go if you could travel any where in the world? Why?
• What's a skill you wish you had? Why?
• What one thing would you do to make the world more peaceful?
• Do you like being challenged? How?
• How can we stop violence?
• What other cultures interest you? Why?
• If you could write a book, what kind of book would it be? Why?
• If you could sit down with the most powerful person in the world and give that person advice, what would that be?
• Do you learn more when you win or when you lose? Tell me more.

Resource: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov

LeAnn Garcia, counselor at SLV Mental Heatlh Center, offers these questions for conversation starters:

• What would you like to change about yourself?
• How would you like to spend your day?
• What do you like about yourself and why?
• What music do you like and why?
• Where do you see yourself in 2 years?
• What resources do you have available and how would you use them?