The Top 10 Tips for Communicating with Children

Most people have more training before they receive their driver's license than before they become a parent. Educating yourself on how to communicate effectively with your child can be the key to achieving your parenting goals. If you do not have children of your own, these 10 tips can help you whenever you are around children.

  • Draw children out to speak about the things on their minds.

    You can 'prime the pump' by talking with them about their favorite foods, toys, movies, video games, etc.

  • Verbally reflect the emotions of a child before giving in to your need to teach them something.

    Parents are constantly making the error of educating their child when their child expresses pain. "I hate my nose" is often responded to with, "you have a perfectly good nose" and the child is left to feel all alone with what could become an enormous problem for them in years to come.

  • Teach your child to wait instead of interrupting your conversations.

    One technique is to teach your children to lightly touch your arm and to wait peacefully and quietly to be acknowledged by you. Children who interrupt miss a chance to learn to control their impulses and can upset the flow of an adult's conversation.

  • Play little games whenever you see children.

    For example, you could put something such as a coin in a hand behind your back and ask the child to guess which hand it is in. This is a way to build a strong connection with a child and make a child feel honored.

  • Lower yourself physically to a child's level by sitting down, bending down, or sitting on the floor.

    It may have been months since any adult has joined the child on their own level.

  • Hold and play with a child's toys or trinkets.

    Play is the language of a child. If you stop for even thirty seconds to draw a picture alongside of a child who is coloring, you could become one of their heroes.

  • Tell short stories to children.

    Make the stories up or pull them from your own childhood. Stories can be used to build a connection, to teach a lesson, or just to leave a child feeling better than when the conversation began.

  • Follow up on the promises that you make to children with action.

    Children are usually more hurt than adults by broken promises. Ironically, many people treat their promises to children as less important than their promises to adults.

  • Sacrifice some of your time to interact with children and to focus on them 100%.

    Most adults do not interact with children who are present because the children are not able to meet their needs the way that an adult can. Five minutes invested in the life of a child will pay dividends that an hour invested in the life of an adult may not.

  • Master the art of Socratic questioning.

    This means that instead of expressing facts or lecturing that you ask a question to stimulate the child's own reasoning process. Socratic questioning opens up a place in a person's mind for the answer to be remembered. For example, you could ask, "How do you think we could take better care of the puppy?" instead of telling your child what to do.

    About The Author

    This piece was written by Dr. Clare Albright, Psychologist and Parenting Coach, and author of "100 Tips for Parents of Two Year Olds", which can be downloaded for only $5.77 from http://www.parentsoftwoyearolds.com

    home cleaning services Deerfield ..
    In The News:

    DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.
    Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.
    Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.
    Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.
    A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.
    South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.
    Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.
    Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
    Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALLĀ·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.
    Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.
    Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.
    NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.
    Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.
    Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.
    Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.
    Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.
    Fake airline texts claiming flight cancellations are targeting travelers with convincing scams. Learn how cybercriminals steal personal data and credit card info.
    Discover how iOS 26's new Adaptive Power feature automatically extends iPhone battery life by learning your usage patterns and adjusting performance intelligently.
    New TikTok malware campaign tricks users into running PowerShell commands that download Aura Stealer, which steals credentials and authentication tokens.
    Gaia Family offers fixed upfront pricing for IVF cycles with unlimited embryo transfers and financial protection, partnering with over 100 U.S. fertility clinics.
    The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.
    Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.
    Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.
    Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.
    Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.
  • Labor of Love

    The small, lilac colored hexagonal box, with Winnie the Pooh... Read More

    Home For The Holidays: Ask Yourself Some Questions

    Annie easily slipped into becoming the sole caregiver of her... Read More

    The B Word

    Former students would probably attest to the fact that few... Read More

    Top 20+ Reasons to Pay your Kid an Allowance

    1. They can make mistakes under your guidance2. They will... Read More

    How to Give Your Child Encyclopedic Knowledge?

    When you talk about multiply your child's intelligence, you can't... Read More

    Alias: Aptitude

    Be aware. You may become totally overwhelmed when you get... Read More

    The Mystery of Picky Eaters

    If you were to ask 100 parents why they think... Read More

    Quality Time?

    There's a phrase that's become popular over the past few... Read More

    The Secret, Unconscious Game Children and Parents Play Where No One Wins!

    Did you know there's a game children and parents play... Read More

    Picky Eater Kid Nutritional Guidelines

    Although many children are picky eaters at some stage in... Read More

    Where to Look for Affordable Baby Clothes

    Once the newness has worn off a little, you will... Read More

    Why Fathers Are Such a Necessary Component in the Raising of Their Children.

    The first year of a child's life is the most... Read More

    Home For The Holidays: Avoid Aging Parents Becoming A Burden

    By not planning for the future we guarantee that we... Read More

    What About Competition? Are Your Kids Ready?

    Life is full of competition -- even in childhood. Kids... Read More

    Spelling Games

    The following spelling games can be used by parents to... Read More

    Ritalin (Methylphenidate) in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

    Ritalin is a good medication with a bad reputation. Its... Read More

    How Fathers Can Step Up to Fathering

    When our oldest son was 2, my wife went out... Read More

    7 Ways to Survive the Start of the School Year

    It happens every year. Just when you are settled in... Read More

    The Value of Play

    Isn't it ironic that a country whose constitution allows for... Read More

    Co-sleeping, a personal story

    When I was pregnant, we knew that we had some... Read More

    Homeschooling ? Can I Do It?

    Many parents would like to homeschool their children but are... Read More

    Time, Stress, and a Baby

    The main thing we noticed since having a baby is... Read More

    Birth of a Parent

    So you're pregnant. Congratulations! Your life is about to change... Read More

    Beginning the Special Education Process

    Like anything else in life, there's a method to the... Read More

    When A Parent Is Deployed

    When a parent is deployed with the military it can... Read More

    recurring housekeeping Highland Park ..