Every parent wants what’s best for their child. Communication is an important part of life and it’s taken for granted that children will learn as they grow up. However, communication is a skill that needs to be taught to children, just like academic skills.
There are many things in life that depend on having good interpersonal skills. This includes relationships of all kinds. Communication is so much more than talking. Here are five communication skills that your child will need. Teach them these basics and practice it with them on a regular basis. This will make their interpersonal muscles stronger as they grow up, and help foster long-lasting relationships.
Asking Questions
Learning to ask questions will help your child make friends. After all, people like to talk about themselves. Ask them about their hobbies, their likes and dislikes, their favorite food and movies. Ask questions to know them better. Answer questions that are asked in response. To teach this to your child, you can do role play. Take turns with your child in asking questions. You can even tell them to practice it at school with their classmates.
Sharing things about themselves
Sharing things about yourself will have two outcomes. It will attract people with similar interests, and repel those who don’t. Discuss how people can talk and share things about themselves and how they say it. Your child can share their hobbies, interests, and things they are proud of about themselves with their friends. Just remind your child to remain humble and down-to-earth as they talk with other people. Other people wouldn’t like it if they come off as braggadocios and arrogant. You can role play in teaching them this particular skill. Keep practicing and honing this skill with your child. Always tell them that in communicating, it’s important to keep the balance between asking questions and sharing things about themselves.
Be Friendly and Extend Invitations
This doesn’t just mean inviting friends over on your child’s birthday party. Invites can be made every day. Your child can invite their friends to join them for lunch, or to play ball together. You can brainstorm a list of invitations for your child to use with other kids. Teach your child how to gracefully and respectfully respond to those who decline the invitation. Tell your child that rejections are normal and it’s okay that some people decline an invitation. Some kids will view this rejection as an act of bullying. As a parent, it is your duty to explain that people have the right to decline. Make them aware there can be many reasons as to why the invitation got rejected and that it’s okay.
Listen and not interrupting
Teach your children to take turns when communicating. Teach them to listen attentively when the person they are talking to is saying something. Teach them not to interrupt when someone is talking. Being able to listen and wait for their turn to talk is good manners that every child needs to learn. Teach them not to jump into a conversation unannounced because they feel like it. When your child interrupts a conversation, stop them and firmly tell them that interrupting in a conversation is rude and they have to wait for their turn. It’s important for kids to learn self-control and for parents to demonstrate it.
Speak Clearly
Train your child to speak with a clear voice and correct pronunciation. Teach them not to rush their words and use good grammar. As parents, you should pay attention to your child’s speech capability. If they say something wrong, gently correct them. Remember not to embarrass them so that they don’t feel discouraged. Don’t correct your child in front of other people. This will make them feel self-conscious.
It’s a parent’s obligation to teach their children communication skills as they grow up. Having good communication skills will make it easier when dealing with relationships and other people. Teaching children good communication does not only happen at home, it also happens in school. Make sure you are enrolling your child in a school or child care center that addresses communication skills. If you are looking for a quality child care center, Imagine Nation Learning Center is one. Check our website out today!
