Communicating effectively with children is a topic that many parents cannot do and are weak at. In this regard, families see their children as "little adults" or exhibit an attitude that always tries to impose their own ideas on their children. When the parent-child balance cannot be established, communication problems arise and children gradually move away from families and go to communicate less. Parents' compliance with the 6 rules we mentioned below when communicating with children will enable healthy and effective communication and make family bonds stronger.
Allow Self-Expression
When families communicate with their children, they usually forget that they are individuals on their own. However, the child making their own decisions, taking responsibilities, and being someone who has a say in the family will enable the child to respect themselves and be a self-confident person in their future life. During parents' communication with children, supporting the child, encouraging them, making requests from the child when necessary, and thanking them will enable the child to be closer to the family and be a self-confident individual.
Express What You Want Them to Do by Explaining
Parents usually ask children to do something and do not make an explanation to the child about why they want it. However, this will cause confusion in children. When asking a child to wash their hands, to gain toilet habits, to eat their food, or to exhibit a behavior in any other subject, explaining this with its reason and talking about the beneficial aspects of doing it will enable the child to understand what they will do.
Listen to What the Child Says
Communicating effectively with children will come from listening to the child as much as you talk. Communication is not one-sided, a child who thinks that their ideas are not valued, that what they say is not listened to, withdraws and gradually begins not to tell any problems to their family.
Exhibit Consistent Behaviors
Children look at the world by establishing simple logic. Saying no to an event you said yes to today, even getting angry with the child for this, is a situation that will not be understood from the child's perspective. Contradictory behaviors damage the feeling of trust in the child and over time, they give up listening because they cannot predict what to do in the behaviors that are said.
Have Age-Appropriate Expectations
What children can do is determined not by themselves, but by their development levels. When making a request from a child, it should be well evaluated whether they are competent to do this. Parents' communication with children should be established by determining the appropriate level for the child. When the child encounters requests at their own level, they feel inadequate and their self-confidence is damaged.
Determine the Right Communication Language
Using the "you" language that will give the impression of "you are guilty" when communicating with children makes the child uneasy, determining a language directed at yourself by saying "I am sad" and establishing a communication bridge will make the child more understanding.