Learn how to talk to your kids
Every parent dreads being asked questions by their children that they aren’t ready to answer. Learn how to talk to your kids and develop the relationship that you will need when they get older. There are some basic guidelines that parents can follow to talk better to their children. Here are a few. When your child asks a question, find out why they are asking before you go into a long winded explanation. Sometimes we misunderstand what they are asking.
I had a daughter ask me what a certain word meant. I went on and tried to tactfully explain this word. After I finished, she mentioned that she saw the word in the name of a lotion I had, and just wondered what it meant. I could have come up with a much simpler answer if I would have understood the question. Allow your kids to have an opinion and express it.
Try not to make them feel like their opinion is less valuable because you know more than they do. Take the time to listen to them and understand where they are coming from. Always talk to them at their age appropriate level. Don’t talk down to them just because they are a child. I had a nurse at the doctor’s office that talked baby talk to my two year old daughter, who just looked at the women with confusion. Children are smarter than we give them credit for. A big part of learning to talk to our children is learning how to listen. Following these suggestions and paying attention to your kids will help you develop the relationship that you want. When they are older, that open communication becomes essential. Develop that relationship now.