Whether your child is a chatterbox or a wallflower, it is important to always be teaching communication to others with them. You can help your child develop these skills on a daily basis in all the different things you do in a day!
Lead by Example
It is easy to forget how important communication is for everyday tasks and beyond. Everyone needs to have some level of experience in being able to communicate their feelings, and interpret others’ thoughts and feelings in a meaningful manner in order to help them succeed. Children learn most of these communication skills while growing up, and you can help them see daily interactions while running errands, talking to friends, and even with you and your spouse.
The Good & The Bad
Kids need to be able to see positive and negative communication with people, and how to best cope with the experience (especially if it is a negative experience). Seeing how you and your partner handle these situations is a great way for children to learn communication skills in the present. It can help bolster their self esteem and learning as it’s more hands-on than just listening to people. As they get older, they can also start communicating in these types of situations and will feel more comfortable with you by their side. You can help them get through those tough conversations and lead them to ask questions or be more direct if need be, depending on the circumstances. Having someone familiar around to help out can be a great asset in letting your children feel out conversations and how best to address them.
Out and About
To better help your child gain more communication skills, talking with people while you are out and about can help them. They can chat to the bank attendant, or the checkout person at the grocery store. If you already have a chatterbox at home, this may already come easily to them and all you have to do is drive them around town! But if you have a more shy child at home, you don’t want to force them to interact with others, but a gentle push here and there can’t hurt either. Even if they have one positive experience with talking to someone in a month, that is definitely progress and shouldn’t be overlooked! Every small step can help your child gain more skills in communicating their feelings and better understand the people around them.
Katie Kyzivat