I can be a horrible conversation partner. Just ask my wife. There are times when I talk too much. There are times when I don't talk enough. More often, I don't listen enough (or at least well enough).
As someone once told us, "The days are long, but the years are short". An airline stewardess told us that. I think she saw the dark circles under our eyes and the exhaustion in our gaze. Parenting isn't for the faint of heart. And I'm only 11 years in, which means...
This is the question we end every day with every one of our kids. We tuck each of them into their beds, tell them goodnight, and await a response. There is always a range of replies.
I am not good at arguments. I tend to lose just about every argument I get into (especially with my wife).
We don't want the deeper interactions we have to be like a game of "whack-a-mole", every time a kid comes up, conversation stops, we "whack" the apparent need, and move on. This is no way to have good meaningful dialogue with those we care about and love.
Truth be told, questions are devices that can be used as fuel or fertilizer. They can burn a conversation to the ground or cultivate it to bear fruit.
Preacher on the Run... 