Helping Your Child with their Communication Skills

Good communication skills are vital to helping children form bonds with their peers and verbalise their needs to caregivers. Parents tend to know their children inside out and can often interpret their mindset without a word being uttered. You can recognise the grumpy symptoms of a tired or hungry toddler, and you pick up on that little smirk that tells you when they’re up to no good. As your child gets older and ventures into the world without you, it’s important that you help them articulate their thoughts and feelings and learn how to maintain conversations with others. An independent school in County Kildare has shared some advice on how to teach your child clear and effective communication skills.

Get Chatty

However old your child is, talking to them regularly about anything and everything helps them master the flow of a conversation. Demonstrating your own communication skills will give them a guide to follow. When you’re out and about, talk about the things you can see and hear around you. Ask them open questions to prompt them to give their insights and show interest in what they say.

Talk About Emotions

Children sometimes don’t have the language skills to describe how they’re feeling, which can become a barrier when trying to articulate how they feel. By describing different emotions and naming them, you can give your child the tools to identify their feelings, enabling them to express themselves with more clarity. Picture cards can be useful for younger children, having them identify happy, sad or angry faces. You can also discuss how each emotion feels so that they can recognise when they are feeling that way in the future.

Give Them Opportunities to Practice

Introducing your child to other adults and children will help build their confidence in articulating themselves around others. Quieter children may shy away from conversations initially, but practice will help them to develop their skills and come to feel at ease talking to other people.