Without communication, it is not easy to know the child’s weakness, ambitions, talents and it might also be hard to be friends with them.

Communicating with kids inspires them to talk about their feelings and thoughts. Giving kids a listening ear and respond to them about different things is very important. 

Kids have ways of communicating even when they say nothing to you. All you have to do is to focus on body language, and the tone of their voices. That way, you can know whether they are happy, angry, excited, complaining or hungry.

It is a bit hard for kids to give you attention when you rarely spend time with them, sacrificing time to talk to them would make them feel loved and cheered. Sometimes, they would need attention even when you are so busy but as a parent, you would find means of not putting them off. Kids have much to open up about if they are given chance to be heard.

Children need a lot of encouragement and positive feedback to get talking. Others will be desperate to talk with you when you are occupied with something else. This might mean stopping what you are doing to listen.

How to improve communication with your child?

Kids need to be showed that their thoughts and feelings matter, they ought to be guided on how to express themselves.

Whenever you gather as a family, maybe during meals, you can start up conversations about how their day was, what they studied or ate at school, which is their favorite subject and why, this would stir up a real conversation.

It is necessary for parents to know each and every detail about their children. While communicating with the little ones, both the parents and the children should talk and then give chance to the other to listen and then respond afterwards. Proper communication is when you can hear what the other has to say.

As you talk to your child, you get a chance of teach them life values, such as; truthfulness, forgiveness, love for one another, kindness and many more. Be willing to listen to kids all the time.

How to encourage your child to listen?

Let your child finish talking and then respond. This sets a good example of listening for your child but also, use language and ideas that your child will understand. It can be hard for your child to keep paying attention if he doesn’t understand what you are talking about.

Kids don’t need to be criticised as they are still learning a few things, even when they make mistakes, don’t bark at them or use a bad tone, but rather, let them know why what they have done is wrong and advise them not to repeat it next time.

Be a good role model, if you talk to others with respect whether physically or on phone, that is exactly what kids will copy.

Sometimes you might feel ignored but young kids are easily distracted, it is your duty to draw their attention before you communicate with them.

Kids need to have their opinions sometimes; this makes them feel a sense of enablement. For instance; give them a chance to decide what to eat or wear, but not always stipulating what they should do because it bores.

Getting kids to listen to you is through letting them take an opportunity to do some tasks together, allow them cook with you, or do laundry together, they might feel it’s a bit fun yet at the same time they are learning how to do house chores.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com