When our boys were growing up we had a tradition called “special talk time.” We weren’t as consistent with this as we should have been, and now, looking back, I can honestly say that if I had done one thing differently in my parenting it would be to have done this every week with my kids. We would pull our one kid into the bedroom, they would stretch out on the bed and we would talk. Sometimes the talks were serious but the best ones were just shooting the breeze, finding out about their teachers and friends. You see, when we’re talking to our kids on a regular basis we know when they are “off” and we know what we need to do to fix it.

We need to be “in the game” with our kids. The more we are around them, the more we are connecting and communicating, the more we will know when something is “off.” We will be able to sense when they need our help. We will be able to sense when they have something they need to unload. We will know when a change is needed or when everything is all right.

So, I challenge you to start this habit now. Pick a night. Pull your kids aside. And talk. That’s all there is to it. Give it a try.