Communicating with Your Child

Our children learn to communicate as we coo and smile over their cribs. They learn to speak as we look lovingly into those bright toddler eyes. But often as our children grow up, the communication slows and sometimes stops. As parents we need to keep the dialogue open for a lifetime, even during those difficult middle school and teen years. It will be well worth the effort. Below are some tips to consider to help you keep the communication lines open.

• Have conversations, not lectures.
• Keep to one topic at a time.
• Listen as much as you speak.
• Conversation flows over food; eat together as often as possible.
• Have family meetings with everyone having time to talk.
• Try not to be critical.
• Always remember there are no dumb questions.
• You will want to know the information your child wants to share.
• Talk to your child’s friends; it will be most interesting.
• Once a day let your child know you value his or her opinion.
• Remember, no one listens when you yell.