Here are the Top 10 Communication Tips to learn how to talk to your children and have them listen to you:
- Listen to your children.
- Accept feelings; limit unacceptable behavior.
- Look for other feelings – what first seems to be the problem, may not be.
- Tell your children how you feel without shaming them.
- Do not call your children “names.”
- Give yourself a “time out” when angry to avoid saying something you may regret.
- Praise your children for doing good things.
- Use words that your children can understand.
- Set aside time to let your kids tell you what they are thinking.
- Tell children what they should do, not just what they did wrong.
Choose ways to communicate that show love and trust. There is a wide range of healthy responses and rarely is there just one “right” way to react. Learning when to use all of the different communication skills is hard, but well worth it. It will help you build a stronger relationship.
Learn when to listen and when to talk. Decide when to teach and when to let your children figure out their own solutions. Use humor to ease tension.
Having these skills can assist you throughout your everyday interactions with your children and during those more difficult talks – such as about sex, trauma, death, or other emotionally charged situations.
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