VOL.94/2026.05

I am a mother raising a son. Since he was about two years old, my child has been exceptionally articulate. He started speaking earlier than his peers, always had plenty to say, and above all, talked incessantly. At daycare, I constantly heard things like, "He’s so bright," and "He expresses himself so well." Naturally, I assumed, "My child and I communicate so well together.“

However, there was a day when that assumption was completely shattered. It happened when I met my nephew, who is the same age as my son. Meeting him after a long time, I noticed my nephew had grown into an elementary schooler who chatted away comfortably. But something about him was different.

"Auntie, what did you do today?"

When I answered, he followed up with, "Oh, was that tiring for you?"

And then, "Are you feeling a bit better now?"

...Wait a minute. Is this an interview? I was momentarily stunned by how he listened to my words and continued the conversation with relevant questions.

”This... this is what a real conversation feels like.“

I began to reflect on the "conversations" I had with my son.

"Mom! I’m going to give you a quiz!"

"Mom needs to rest for a bit right now..."

(Three minutes later)

"Mom! Okay, now I’m going to give you a quiz!“

Ah, my home was a broadcasting station. A one-way transmission. That was the day I realized that being good at speaking and being good at conversing are two entirely different skills. It struck me that my son was a wonderful talker, while my nephew was an interviewer.

These days, I am trying to move beyond just speaking and listening with my child to engage in "true conversation."

"Son, let’s listen to Mom for a bit and really talk together!"

The Big Ears That Make Friends