How to Effectively
Communicate With Your Child
Talk between parents and children is very important, if for no other reason than it is relatively rare when compared to the other activities that today's busy families are engaged in. For example, American children spend an average of 4 hours each day in front of the television--that's 28 hours per week. At this rate, they will have watched 22,000 hours of TV by age 18--more time than they will spend in the classroom. And this does not include time spent in front of video games and computers. With an increase in the number of parents working outside the home, children are spending more time under the care of a non-parent. These and other factors in our culture make parent-child talk a special event.
Parent-child talk is also important because of its power. Talking is one of the most effective ways you can share information with your children, strengthen your relationship with them, help them understand and deal with their emotions, and pass on to them values, beliefs, and hopes. Basically, talking is one of the main tools that you use to further the intellectual, emotional, moral, and spiritual growth of your children. However, if not used carefully, talking can have a negative effect. It can be used to communicate misinformation, discount or deny feelings, disrupt mood and emotions, and instill fear, doubt, confusion, and hopelessness. As a parent, your goal is to keep your children talking to you. The ideas described below are designed to help you achieve this goal by communicating more effectively with your children.
More:www.vermontfamilyresource.org
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