How do you speak to your children? Take a minute and think about the way you converse with your children. Remember there’s a big difference between talking with someone and talking at them. Many parents make the mistake of putting importance on only learning new words and developing the overall language but not focusing on the actual conversing factor. The point is to carry on a conversation with your child and get them to use their cognitive skills.
So how can we get our children to talk to us?
Try expressing an interest in what they like. By valuing your child’s perspective not only will they get talking but they will also feel validated. Ask them open ended question on their hobbies, their favourite school subject, or their favourite television show. Tell your children stories to encourage dialogue between you. Ask them questions about their day, what they did at school, what they are looking forward to this week at playschool. Finding out about their day and what they will be doing this week in school will not only give you an inside peek into your child’s life but also create a stronger bond between you. Even just talking and describing things that are happening around you and tasks that you do every day can really help get those little ones using more words. Remember to never shut down a child’s question even if it may sound silly. This is the way children learn by asking questions…. a lot of questions.
The last thing we want to say is to make sure time is being made for discussions. In today’s busy life, we can easily get distracted and not dedicate enough time to having proper conversations with our little ones… And remember the most important thing to do when having a conversation is to genuinely listen to their responses.
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Check out our blog on healthy food for picky eaters:
https://www.childcaremalta.mt/blog-healthy-food-for-picky-eaters/