Talking with Kids
When you have younger children it can often be difficult to communicate effectively, but being able to communicate with your child is vital in order to enjoy a good relationship and to help support the child with problems and issues. Although your child may be young, it is important to remember that he or she is able to pick up a lot through conversation and interaction, and therefore you should strive to spend quality time talking with your child, not just when an issue arises but on a regular basis as part of their upbringing. This will reinforce trust, the parent-child bond, and will enable you to pick up on and help with issues that the child may be experiencing.
- Finding the right time and place to talk to your child can be difficult with work, housework, and other commitments to juggle around. However, it is important to take time out each day and talk to your child. One of the best ways and times to do this is at dinner, where you and your family can sit down around the table to eat without the disruption of television, computers, etc. This is a good habit to get your child into in terms of routine, and is an effective way to spend quality time to talk with your child.
- Don’t talk to your child in a patronizing way. Even younger kids are able to enjoy a two way conversation, and this will give your child the opportunity to express his or her feelings, voice any concerns, and speak to you about any problems. Remember, you should talk with your child and not at him.
- Make sure that you take the time to listen as well as talk. Although younger kids may not express themselves as clearly as older ones, if you take the time to listen you will often pick up on what they are trying to express. By talking and listening to your kids you can also enjoy more effective communication.
Something as simple as talking to your kids and developing a healthy rapport through effective communication can go a long way, and can help you to solve problems and even avoid problems that may otherwise arise. Remember, even if your child is quite young he or she will really benefit from getting into the habit of talking and being able to communicate more effectively.