Talk About It: Building Confidence by Listening to Others
“...everyone who works on a show has to learn each other’s perspective and take a walk in their shoes”
A lot can be gained by learning what others think and feel. Perspective taking is recognizing what others think and feel and seeing the similarities and differences from your own perspective.
In this clip from the PBS KIDS podcast “Jamming on the Job,” Andrés and Christina meet Kai, a costume designer. They ask Kai how he comes up with ideas for his costume designs. Kai says that he asks questions to learn about an actor’s perspective about their character.
By asking questions, Kai understands the character that he is designing for. He can be creative in how he makes the costumes so that they fit the needs of the show that they are making together. His knowledge about the character and his creativity helps him build his confidence.
Talk to your child about how Kai asks questions to learn more about the costumes he needs to design. Then ask your child to think about a time when they asked questions to find out how a friend is feeling or why they are doing something. Then, talk about how recognizing the differences between their own thoughts and feelings and their friend’s can build confidence when making decisions. Understanding their friend better makes it easier to help them solve a problem. Or, make up your own questions based on your daily interactions.
- What did you notice in the conversation? What questions do you have?
- How does Kai learn about someone else’s perspective?
- Remember when Kai said that he had to make a costume that could be worn two ways by turning it inside out to help with a costume change? What were other examples of challenges that Kai had to work through to make different kinds of costumes?
- Have you been in a live performance like a musical or dance production? Have you ever worn a costume onstage?
- How do you use perspective-taking in your everyday life? What kind of questions do you ask to learn how people are feeling?
- Where have you used perspective-taking in other parts of your life?
- Can you think of a time when a grown up has asked you about your perspective? How did that help?
Many parts of our day can be improved by better understanding what someone else is thinking. By asking questions to find out what someone needs, feels, and wants, you can help them meet their goal. You can also make them feel better about themselves and be confident in knowing you helped them. Learning to listen and observe is an important skill that will help you and others around you succeed in life.
Explore More: Listen to the full Costume Designer podcast and read an article on Supporting Great Communications Skills for Kids.
Jamming on the Job is a multi-generational podcast from PBS KIDS! Join Christina, Andrés and their magic Boombox as they travel the country, meet fascinating professionals, and create unforgettable songs about the world of work.