Communication is important, that is why it should be modelled to kids as early as possible. For communication to be effective, kids need to learn good listening skills, self-control, use good grammar, and have compassion. Once such skills are imparted, kids are groomed for adulthood. This is how you can help your child communicate efficiently; Engage kids in conversations. Kids who are troubled or shy about conversing with others need to be encouraged to begin conversations with their colleagues at school and at home. This will lay a foundation of self-confidence and help them open up easily and share their thoughts frankly. Be open. While talking to your child, employ all kinds of feelings, like anger, joy, frustration, fear and anxiety. This will enable them to know how to react concerning different topics. Start conversations anywhere. To converse does not need a time table; you can talk while preparing dinner or heading to school. Conversations should not be limited, it can be about their preferred subjects and why they favour them to other subjects. It can be about their favourite meal recipes and how they can learn cooking. Introduce new words and concepts all the time. Talk about the day’s activities. There are various activities that take place during the day, be interested to listen and ask questions about what activities the child participated in, the entire day. For instance, ask about what they ate? Which games they played? The new friends they got, and much more. Be able to ask follow up questions to make it interesting. However, let them know how your day went as well. This boosts kids’ recalling and also connects you with your child. Model conversation skills. Body language and facial expression are necessary while communicating, as they illustrate what someone means, for example, if they are annoyed, happy, frustrated and much more. Allow your kid to maintain eye contact; this will help them to not get distracted while talking to anyone and is also a way of respecting someone they are talking to. You cannot talk to someone when you are looking somewhere else. Develop a reading culture together. Read with your child a different book, they will learn to think ahead while drawing and meditating on the characters in such books. Ask for your child’s opinion. Let your child feel important and available, if there is any topic on TV, involve them in a conversation and ask for their judgment and criticism on any idea, it can even be about politics. For example, “Do you think such a person could have won the elections? And why?” Let them think outside the box. Encourage writing of journals. If a child notes down daily activities, it is easy to know what to do at a specific time every day. They can easily share with their friends about what is on their agenda. This prevents idleness. Ask open-ended questions. Such questions require many answers. This can help a child think broadly and stimulate different discussions and arguments. Allow thinking and knowing. Persuade kids not to give “no” or “yes” answers or to even have one answer or response, rather, to have many views and explanations concerning your questions.
