How do you improve your communication with parents using emotional intelligence and empathy?

I have been writing and recording pedagogical stories for kids for over a decade and have built a profession on deep listening and reading energy (emotional intelligence). Storytelling doesn't work unless you listen. My son, for instance, didn't want to go to school. I could tell him a story or lecture him about courage and resilience or I could take a moment to search out what is going on for him. Turned out, he had been pretending to be able to read. Successfully fooled everyone. When I was able to listen without judgement or even preparing advice, I learned that he had an issue with his sight. When he got tested, he had a rare condition that made his eye muscles very slow. He got exercises, learned to read, and is now a model student.

Emotional Intelligence, like all intelligence can be strengthened and refined. I work on my own through intuitive storytelling, or telling stories without consciously knowing the lessons within. I simply pay attention to my body as a source of information. My body remembers things that my conscious mind has deprioritized. Studies indicate that the conscious mind can only attend 30 bits of information per second, whereas we are constantly bombarded with 11 million bits per second. The body is able to attend and integrate far more information than the conscious mind, and storytelling is a way of accessing that information. It works like dreams - through images and allegory. So I strengthen my emotional intelligence by trusting my body.

If you are going to say something important to a parent, it is best to "read the room" first, otherwise the content of what you say will be quickly interpreted in a way that is out of your control. Pay attention to them first. What is their body doing? Their facial expression. Where are they looking? What are they wearing and how do they look today? We are not judging, just taking it in and trusting that we will know how to modulate and adapt what we are about to say. And I prefer to connect with them first before talking about their child. What do you have in common? Where do you meet on a certain subject. Once you feel that connection, you can then meet the more sensitive topic together.

Communicating with parents requires emotional intelligence and empathy, tailored to the situation. For instance, during academic discussions, focus on collaboration and offer solutions. When addressing concerns, listen actively and validate their feelings. In challenging moments, maintain a calm, supportive tone. Clear, honest, and timely communication builds trust and strengthens the partnership for the child's growth.

Intuitive impulses can happen face to face, via zoom, on the phone or even through text, though they shift and become more subtle. We are conditioned to prioritize the content of the message rather than all the nonverbal, vocal and tone of the message and what that communicates. To slow down and allow your full self to be present and in full attention is a gift to everyone. You will notice more and be slow to judgement or incorrect interpretation of a message sent to you. We think we are right and have accuracy on our side but it is not true. Truth is communicated through the full breadth of communication, not just through the content. So pause, breath into all communication. Know that everyone is doing their best and trying their hardest.