Take the time to talk to your children
Bridget Kings, director of C&K Vera Lacaze Memorial Kindergarten & Preschool discusses the importance of communicating with your child
TALKING and listening to children is vital in the relationship we have with them as parents and other important adults in their life.
A child is listening to you long before they speak — they are listening to the rhythm of your voice, the intonation, the volume and the speed.
They are also looking at your eyes and facial expressions, and sensing your touch.
Communicating positively with your child is the foundation for them to develop a strong and secure self-esteem.
When we listen attentively, we can understand the way a child is thinking and how they perceive the world around them.
It is not a matter of asking questions to get answers — it is allowing children the time to communicate their ideas and experiences, and you showing an interest in the things they are wanting to say.
When you listen to and speak with your child, you are developing a myriad of skills necessary for your child to communicate confidently.
Children learn how sentences are structured, how questions are formed and the intonations and stresses that languages have by listening to you speak.
Children hear you read and they begin to make the connection between the spoken and the written word.
They listen to sounds and begin to copy them so that they can be understood and heard.
When they are heard, children realise they are respected and valued for their opinions, even if your opinions do not align with theirs.
It is also important to remember it is often not what we are saying, but the words we choose and the way we say things that a child will respond to.
Sending the message that what your child has to say is valued and that you will listen to them is important in a child’s understanding of themselves as a member of the family and the group around them.
This does not mean everyone should stop to listen every time a child wishes to speak.
There will be times when it is not appropriate for children to be speaking and helping them understand this is another important part of learning successful communication.
Setting up times during your day when one-on-one communication can happen will allow your child to see their opinions and thoughts are still valued.
Adults need to be good role models if they want their children to be good listeners and communicators.