36 Great Ways to Communicate with Your Child - The First Essential Course for Being a Qualified Parent

Author: Cui Huafang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: When a child is talking, parents should not interrupt them arbitrarily. Simply nodding or agreeing is enough, and parents should also appropriately use body language. For example:
You can sit close to the child, lean slightly against their shoulder, smile, and look at them while saying, “Oh, really? I understand what you mean.”
You can put aside what you’re doing, widen your eyes, open your mouth wide, and make an exaggerated expression, saying, “Really?” When the child tells something that surprises you, you can show a “startled” expression to express your interest. The child will feel they have accomplished something.
You can sit opposite the child, look at them with a loving gaze, and respond thoughtfully, “That’s true.” “I’m sure you were very sad (happy) then?”
You can hold the child’s hand, look at them gently, and say, “I understand how you feel.”
“Yes, I understand your feelings.”
These supportive words often increase a child’s interest in sharing, and since these words show understanding from the child’s perspective, the child will often feel respected by their parents, leading them to open up more to their parents.
When listening to a child, parents can ask simple questions to guide the child in expressing their thoughts clearly. For example:
“Oh, really? Do you think they did the right thing in this matter?”
“I know this made you sad, but do you think you did something wrong?”
“Tell me your thoughts. Maybe I can help.”
This interactive language often brings the child closer to you, making them more willing to share their thoughts. Parents should speak softly and continuously encourage the child.
If the child’s speech is incomplete, parents can appropriately complete it for them; if the child’s speech is off track, parents can gently correct their wording. For example:
“My opinion is different from yours. I think this is better. What do you think?”
“My opinion is like this. Please think it over carefully and draw a conclusion after summarizing.”
No matter how biased the child’s words may be, parents must never dismiss their immature thoughts with coldness, sarcasm, or ridicule. This will make the child reluctant to communicate with their parents, so parents must accept them with understanding.