Getting Their Attention
Hello? I am trying to talk to you. Is that game more important than me?
How Do You Get Them to Put It Down and Look at You When You Talk to Them?
I have heard the studies and know that dopamine is produced making us feel like we can’t live without them. How do we break the attention long enough to at least give the person right in front of us some sort of feeling like we actually care about what they are saying? This is a question that comes up in my mind time and time again when trying to converse with the 12 year old.
This morning I wanted to sit down and tell him how proud I was of him about a conversation we had the other night at dinner. That his view of people in this world was a beautiful thing and to never let anyone convince him differently. He truly sees the world without color, gender or sexual preference. That is such a wonderful and fair view of people that offers him an opportunity to see people for who they are instead of what they wear, what color they are, or who they love. So many things can be learned from the Post-Millennial generation with how they view people. Too bad I couldn’t get him to put down his phone and give me his attention. My frustration with not being recognized as a human being trying to share something got in the way and I chose not to share with him. It confuses me that he can have such a strong view of caring what other people think and feel, yet at the same time make me feel so insignificant.
What part of my program can I use to help him get over this addiction that comes off as so selfish? So far I have no idea…