Good Reception

Every Friday morning for the past 17 years, I've been the weekly guest on Rochester, NY's soft rock station, WARM 101.3. Recently, host Tony Infantino and I were talking off-air about what makes morning radio work now that listeners have endless alternatives. Tony said the best shows aren't about broadcasting information, they're about creating connection: a few people having an interesting conversation that makes everyone listening feel invited into the room.

That only works if the hosts pay attention to people other than themselves. If you just say whatever YOU want to say for as long as you feel like saying it, that's not broadcasting, that's hostage-taking. Good hosts listen constantly—to their families, their neighbors, the person next to them in line—so they know what people in their communities care about. Then once the microphone is on, they don't waste time. Next time you're in the car, turn on the radio and you'll hear what I mean: The best hosts connect their personal stories to something larger. They use interesting words and vary the rhythm and cadence of their language to keep listeners from switching stations. They glide into the topic and glide out again, often with a clever landing.

It occurred to me that good parent-kid communication works much the same way. We parents have LOTS of material. Decades of experience! Valuable perspective! Strong opinions about wet towels, unfinished homework, and why nobody should ever leave one spoonful of milk in the carton! But if we want our kids to listen rather than merely remain in the vicinity while we're speaking, it helps to remember who our audience is. What do they care about? What will connect? What language will they actually hear?

Good parenting is like good radio: Know your audience, then stay tuned.

—Debra Ross, publisher

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