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How to Be a Good Group Member
Here are some suggestions of what to post and how to respond.
When posting a question or problem
Share a problem or situation you're
experiencing. Please remember to share enough detail
including age of the child and any background that would
be helpful to understand your situation. A question like "Any ideas for addressing
sibling conflict?" is not detailed enough so that
a person can respond.
When offering advice
- Offer advice humbly,
recognizing that you may be reading the problem differently
than what was intended. Remember that parenting problems
are complex and rarely are there simple answers.
- Seek to be empathetic and compassionate in
your response.
- Consider how Scripture might apply to the
particular situation at hand.
- Look for heart qualities and approach the
problem from a heart-based perspective, not just focusing
on the surface behavior.
- Consider how you might offer an adult solution that
might be broken down to a child's level.
- Be supportive and encouraging. Avoid harshness or a
condescending tone.
- Ask for updates to see how a situation may be changing.
When responding to advice given to someone else
- If you agree with the advice, you might elaborate.
- If you disagree with the advice, be gentle with your
comments. You may be right, but you also want to be wise.
- You don't have to express disagreement
in order to state your own opinion. You may just want
to share your thoughts without addressing the other
advice. Just offer another way to look at the problem
and another possible approach.
When responding to advice given to you
- You don't have to respond to every point or suggestion.
It's best to tell what you like and what you're going to
try.
- You may find further explanation helpful
but be careful about dominating the group by telling
your whole life story or by countering every opinion
with, "That won't work." Or "I
tried that already."
- Be sure to report back as you see progress.
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