The Parent Trap: Misreading Cues and How to Avoid It

We get to understand the dance between our minds and senses.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Hey there! Ever find yourself puzzling over your child’s behavior, trying to piece together what’s going through their head? Maybe you see your teenager sitting alone and your mind jumps to, “Are they upset? Lonely? Mad at me?” We all do it — our brains are wired to create stories from the bits and pieces we pick up through our senses. But sometimes, our storytelling can get a bit carried away.

The Basics: Sensory Facts vs. Mental Fiction

Let’s break it down simply. We have our five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. These senses give us the facts. Eyes see, ears hear, and so on. Then there’s our mind, which loves to run a bit wild with those facts, turning them into stories that might not match up with reality.

For example, your senses see your son quietly working on his laptop. But your mind might start writing a whole novel: “He’s too quiet. Is he struggling with his homework? Feeling overwhelmed? Why isn’t he asking for help?”

Recognizing Our Inner Novelist

Our minds are incredible, but they can be a little overzealous — like a novelist who can’t resist adding…