Why Effective Communication is Crucial for Your Child’s Growth?
Communication is the cornerstone of human civilisation and remains essential to our survival. Verbal and non-verbal communication skills help us convey our thoughts and emotions and express ideas. They enable people to understand us, thus forming instrumental relationships in our lives.
Children are no different; from the moment they are born, they begin communicating their needs by crying, smiling, and gesturing. As they grow, they learn to use words, phrases, facial expressions and begin to understand how their words and actions impact the person listening. Parents, caregivers, and family members are who children first communicate with. In this environment, the child is introduced to social cues and etiquette. The playground can be a complex place to navigate when you are little!
As the first line of communicators, parents and family members play an integral role in developing the child’s communication skills. Good communication skills will support the child’s cognitive and emotional development, boost their confidence, encourage a growth mind-set, and deepen their empathy and understanding of the world around them.
Strong parent-child relationships are characterised by positive communication and interaction during the early years. In this article, we share five ways for parents to communicate with their children.
Five ways parents can communicate with their children:
1. Be Completely Present
When your child speaks to you, it is good to give them your undivided attention. What that means is to provide them with eye contact at their level. If they are standing, avoid them having to look up at you. Sit down to their height for eye contact. When your body indicates you are present, it is akin to a hug; your child will immediately feel comforted. While it is difficult to give your child undivided attention all the time, be sure to acknowledge when you are unavailable to do so. “I understand you need to speak, I can’t get away at the moment, but I will be with you shortly if that’s okay?” Giving them an option allows them to feel valued. Setting aside time to speak with them each day, perhaps over dinner, story time or bedtime, will also give your child more opportunities to connect and communicate.
Ask your child how their day went. ‘How was school? What did you enjoy about your day?’ This is an excellent way to understand how they are coping in school.
Don’t underestimate a few minutes of conversation every day; It makes a massive difference to your parent-child relationship.
Be open to talking about all kinds of emotions. Acknowledge your child’s emotions. The more you communicate with your child; they develop the trust to confide in you when something is troubling them.
2. Be a Better Listener to Your Child
Misunderstandings are one of the greatest pitfalls in communication. If you are uncertain about what your child is sharing — reframing, and repeating what you have said, ‘Correct? Do I understand this right?’ gives them a chance for clarification.
Always look out for your child’s body language. If your child is sad or frustrated, use a calm and reassuring tone of voice. If your child is telling you that they do not want to share how they feel, give your child space and don’t rush into problem-solving. Sometimes, all your child needs is a listening ear.
Parents can also understand from the child’s perspective and ask them, “Do you want my help, or would you like me to just listen?” Good listeners ask good questions; hence, when parents ask such questions, they ascertain the kind of feedback your child is hoping for.
3. Tell Positive Stories to Your Child
We all grew up listening to stories told by our parents, grandparents, and teachers. Instinctively, children love books and stories because they are introduced to beautiful places and ideas that they have never encountered before. Some stories are funny, while others are powerful. Here, children get to learn more about the world and themselves.
Parents can share stories that serve a positive purpose. For instance, if your child is sad, tell them a funny story. If your child is worried about school, tell them that you faced a similar situation and reassure them that they have the skills to get through this with your love and care. If your child has low confidence, tell them inspiring or motivational stories of people who fought for their dreams.
Telling stories to your child will open their mind to the variation around them and create a deeper understanding of people. Additionally, it is a fun and interactive way to communicate with your child, strengthening the parent-child relationship.
4. Teach Children Social Etiquette
Parents can help children develop social skills and teach them how to interact with people politely and respectfully. Some key manners to teach children include saying “please” and “thank you”, reminding your child to speak to people in a way they want to communicate, and greeting people properly.
Using social opportunities such as family gatherings, mealtimes, or a simple trip to the grocery store are good ways to instil good manners in their children. For instance, with every adult they meet, children have to look at them in the eye, face them directly and shake their hand when meeting them. Parents could teach children basic manners during mealtimes, such as waiting for everyone to be served and asking elders to eat before eating.
How do you know if your child needs more awareness of how to behave in specific circumstances? Here are some examples: your child interrupts your conversation with other adults and does not say ‘excuse me”, they throw a tantrum if their wishes are not complied or they walk into their parent’s room without knocking on the door.
Let your child know that it is important to abide by these social etiquette rules because it is important to respect people’s privacy and space.
5. Don’t Use Unkind Words or Labels
Language is a powerful equaliser, particularly in social settings. Begin by speaking to your child to boost their self-worth and confidence. When they feel respected and valued, they are likely to share that in social settings.
Children thrive with words of encouragement and praise. For instance, using kind words like ‘I love you’, ‘Thank you for trying your best’, ‘You did such a good job at cleaning your room’ creates an environment of trust and respect.
On the contrary, ridiculing, shaming, and name-calling your child is a negative way to communicate with children. “You’re embarrassing me”, “You’re always making trouble; I told you this would break if you played with it”. Harsh language can create a sense of doubt and fear. They may feel that their parents love for them is conditional based on how they behave.
It is essential to choose your words wisely. When parents speak to their child with kind words such as ‘It’s okay, accidents happen. Let’s clean it up together.’ It models to your child that you understand their feelings. Your child learns how to reflect on their behaviour.
Conclusion:
Like any skill, communication with your child can be developed over time. Parents can start by communicating with their child through daily conversations so that positive parent-child communication becomes a way of life.
Lorna Whiston Schools supports the development of communication skills in children of all ages with the vast array of the engaging programmes we offer. These include LW online programmes, Speech & Drama classes and English Enrichment classes. Empowering children to communicate confidently; that’s what we always do at Lorna Whiston Schools.