Here's a listening game that helps your child appreciate the quiet.

Materials:

• A timer, clock, or watch

Directions:

Let your child know you're going to play a listening game. Turn off the television and radio.

Ask your child to be as quiet as possible for 15 seconds. (Maybe the next time, you can ask for 30 seconds of silence and later on, one minute.) Set the timer or look at your watch for the time. What kinds of sounds can your child hear? The refrigerator motor, the house fan, cars outside, dogs barking, water dripping, footsteps?

This can be a good activity to do at other times, too, like when you're taking a walk, playing in the yard, waiting for someone to come home. Listening carefully takes practice -- so does enjoying the silence.

Talk with the your child about a time when you felt you needed to be alone and have some quiet time by yourself. Where did you go? What did you do? Can your child can tell you what he or she does to get quiet time, such as asking people to talk quietly, turning off the television or radio, making a "hide-out" with a big box or a table and blanket, or spending time alone in their rooms. Reassure your child that it's all right to want to be alone sometimes, but to always let a grown-up know where he or she is.

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