Parents should make an effort to communicate in a better manner with children. By doing so, parents can prevent communication gap thereby securing the parent-child relationship. Let us take a look at some tips to help parents communicate better with children.
The generation gap that exists between you and your kid often hinders the smooth two-way communication that should exist between you two. Parents do not deliberately want to punish or scold their children, but at times, due to the communication gap, misunderstandings arise.
Sometimes, parents are too busy to even sit down and talk to their children. Kids might want to reach out but feel thwarted. These misunderstandings often destroy the relationship between parents and kids and make your kid take decisions to intentionally thwart you.
Here are some tips to enhance communication and prevent such a situation.
Listen
Learn
Remember
Be Available
Try to be Understanding
1. Listen
One of the simple ways by which you can bridge the gap is through listening. It is not true that some children are aloof to begin with. Kids always want to talk about how they feel if they think someone is listening.
So when your child starts to open up and talk to you, do not ignore your child. Take some time out, pause your work for a while and listen to what they have to say. Ask them about their opinions, try showing genuine interest.
Try to assess what they say and respond likewise, do not make offhand comments. If you show genuine interest in what your child has to say, they will feel encouraged and open up to you.
2. Learn
Try to learn about your child. Not just what they like for dinner, but actual concrete details. Ask them how they feel about some rules you have established and other matters of concern.
Some children might have a genuine problem with some rule you might have imposed. Not all children are same, so different rules work for different children. If your child feels that you are reasonable and flexible, they will have a better communication with you.
3. Remember
Always remember the details that you pick up in your conversations with your child. Children often try to test if their parents are actually paying attention. If you treat the conversations casually just for the sake of it, your child might never open up to you.
They feel that they are not important enough for you remember their conversations. Often while dealing with some behaviour of your child which you think is not right, the details of the conversations might help.
You will understand what makes your child tick, what are their motivations, why are they acting like this etc. it is really essential to let your child know that you remember whatever they told you and that you treat the conversations as serious matter, no matter how trivial it is. It is your own child, regard them seriously.
4. Be Available
Always be there for your kid. Most kids, who have gone the wrong way, have often done so due to lack of proper guidance and care of parents. Remember that you are your child’s primary source of advice.
If they do not get advice in the place they desire, they get misled. If they feel that you are too busy to spare time to listen to them, they become discouraged and the gap widens.
5. Try to be Understanding
Try to be understanding. Do not scold or judge your child for their opinions. If you get angry your kids will ignore you and never open up. If you have to convey your opinion, do so without aggression. Avoid arguing and never say that they are wrong. Your child should get total encouragement from you.
It is hard being a working parent and maintaining good communication with your kid. But you must try for your child’s proper development. It is very essential that your child communicates with you and that you both have a healthy open relationship.
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