Effective Ways of Communicating with Children

One of the best ways to maintain an open and positive relationship with your child is through frequent and honest communication. Although you may desire to remain abreast of everything happening in your children's' lives, they are not always as forthcoming with that information as you would like. Encouraging conversation may not always be easy but there are some effective ways of communicating with children.

  1. Infants

    • Children begin communicating with us even before they have the ability to speak. Infants express their wants and needs through cries, facial expressions and rudimentary sounds. Encouraging this type of communication helps them to feel secure and content, because it shows them they are being understood. A baby will use one kind of cry to express hunger and another type to be cuddled. You can communicate back by responding appropriately to these sounds and by using facial expressions and tone of voice to encourage positive behavior.

    Toddlers

    • When children begin to learn language, they start with one-word sentences. You help them build their vocabulary and conversational skills by confirming what they have said, adding the rest of the sentence, and responding accordingly. If a two year old tells you "baba," you may respond with "You want your bottle? Are you hungry? I'll get you some milk." This affirmation builds confidence in a young child. You also teach toddlers how not to communicate by ignoring tantrums and discouraging negative behavior.

    Older Children

    • When there is a problem, you want to immediately get to the bottom of it; however, grilling a child for information will not always illicit the best result. To get a child to open up, the first thing you should do is make her comfortable. Do this by approaching the child in an environment she is accustomed to and enjoys. Boys typically communicate better when they are involved in an activity. Bringing a box of blocks to the table may help you get a boy to start talking. To get a girl to open up try playing an imaginative game, like dolls. Role playing with dolls can get a little girl to give you a lot of information about how she thinks and feels.

    Trust

    • It is also important that the child trusts you. Honest communication can help you build trust over time; but, if you are meeting a child for the first time, start by asking him about topics that interest him. Starting the conversation by inquiring about the child's favorite television show or toy helps the child build confidence. Once the child sees how easy it is to talk to you about happy things, begin to ease them into talking about more complicated matters; however, you don't have to wait until there is a problem to talk to your child. Daily, positive communication is a great way to nourish a healthy relationship.

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