Because many parents are beginning to recognize the need for improvement in family communication, a lecture-forum program presented in the South Louisiana area encompasses the skill of listening to children. Defining communication as any behavior that carries a message that is perceived by someone else, the program explores the difference between verbal and nonverbal communication and emphasizes the importance of nonverbal communication. The first major area, the discussion of listening, covers possible reasons why parents listen poorly, such as making up their minds in advance or interrupting. The presentation then moves to suggestions for improving listening habits, including looking at children when they are speaking and learning to read nonverbal signals. When time permits, small groups discuss topics, using the Rogerian Technique. If the groups are interacting well, they may illustrate varying levels of empathy through role-playing situations involving a child who has been caught lying, or a teenager who has broken up with a steady date. The program then administers a listening survey to help parents survey their own habits once those habits have been discussed. This survey can also be used as a point of discussion in a small group. The presentation can be condensed to 30 minutes or expanded to a 3-hour workshop. Evaluations of the workshop format have been consistently high. (The listening survey and a list of workshop objectives are appended.) (HTH)