Since birth, your children have been communicating. From sounds like crying or cooing, smiling or eye contact, or body movements like pointing, communication has been part of daily life since the start. As your children continue to grow, you want to equip them to be strong communicators – one of the most crucial life skills. As parents, it is essential to promote effective communication by giving them the right tools to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. But, how can you help them communicate better?
Let’s start by refreshing our memory about what communication looks at different ages:
👶Preschoolers – Three to six-year-old students start to sequence events and use complete sentences that are often grammatically correct. At this age, students experiment with reality, so they sometimes like to chat about imaginary experiences. Does this sound like your preschooler? ✨ To help enhance their ability to describe experiences, we can ask them about past events. E.g., “Who did you eat lunch with at school today?” and “What did you play at recess? ”✍🏽
👧🏻Elementary School Students – Six to twelve-year-olds seek more information, ask more detailed questions, and can justify their actions. At this age, they are starting to recognize how their behavior can influence others and can handle more pieces of information at once. At this age, it is important to acknowledge their peers👯, take time to help them solve problems, and provide clear explanations to help them understand the implications of their behavior.💡
👦🏾Adolescents – Twelve to eighteen-year-olds are interested in spending more time alone and with their friends, trying to understand who they are becoming, and how they are different from their parents. They can also talk in-depth about themselves and their relationships with others. Do you remember how it felt to be a teenager?😅 With adolescents, it is good to balance expecting personal responsibility and offering them support. Remember, acknowledging their beliefs shows acceptance of their individuality, and it can be compelling for building open communication in the household.👨👦
Good communication skills allow children to create fruitful relationships at home and school while also facilitating them to reach their academic and personal goals. Here are four ways to help your child increase their communication skills:
Be Available.
Children need to feel secure and comfortable to talk about their feelings, so try to speak to them at a time and a place with minimal distractions. Then, listen carefully to what they are trying to express, ask follow-up questions, and help them identify the proper resources to achieve their personal and academic goals. Being part of their academic and extracurricular endeavors helps them feel supported and valued.
Ask Open-Ended Questions.
When we don’t limit ourselves to asking questions that require a simple “yes” or “no” answer, we can find out more about a situation and naturally invite our children to provide more authentic and in-depth responses.
✔️Who – “Who did you play with today?”
✔️What – “What was your favorite part of the day?”
✔️When – “When did you finish your homework?”
✔️Where – “Where did you go after school?”
✔️How – “How did you feel about taking the test?”
Encourage Self-Analysis.
Journaling is an excellent way to put experiences, thoughts, and ideas on paper to analyze them better. This is also a perfect tool to prioritize problems or goals and track daily symptoms so that your child can start learning new ways to manage and communicate their feelings. Remember, understanding ourselves is an essential element for communicating effectively with others.
Respect Their Feelings & Ideas.
Developing a sense of empathy and consideration for others is essential for people of any age, and developing these skills early in life will promote better leadership skills. Keep in mind that children who have trouble communicating might find it challenging to start sharing their feelings or ideas, so why don’t you start the conversation? Introduce phrases to get them talking, ask about things they are interested in, and use the time you have together wisely. I remember some of the best conversations with my parents growing up happened during car rides to or from school🚘 This also allows you as a parent to practice and demonstrate active listening, another important communication skill.
Communicating effectively with one another can help create a positive environment at home and school while also promoting a healthy view of ourselves and the world around us. Don’t let communication stand in the way of your student reaching their goals; let’s start putting these four tips to practice. Want more tools and tips to support your child? At Schola, we share weekly content for families to help their child succeed academically, socially, emotionally, and everything in between.
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