For young children, “talking”,which parents and children usually do naturally, is an effective way of improving their vocabulary and supporting their development. To promote your child’s growth, it is important for parents to pay attention to how you talk with your child. In this article, we will introduce the benefits of talking with your child and give some tips for conversations that will help your child grow.
What are the benefits of parent-child conversations?
As they grow older, children gradually acquire communication skills and begin to cry less. Talking with friends and family is an effective way for children to expand their vocabulary and acquire communication skills such as thinking, judgement and empathy.
Communication skills are essential for success in our society and being able to think on their own, make correct judgements and listen to others’ opinions will enrich your child’s life. This proves that talking is not only fun, but it also has a positive effect on children’s development.
”Parent-child conversations” are important for your child’s growth and development
What can parents do to support their child’s growth and development? One easy activity to try as a family is to simply take the time to talk to your child on a regular basis.
When your child is a baby, try “calling out their name” and “talking about what they are doing”
Even babies who can’t talk, can recognize their parents’ voices. Therefore, it is a good idea for parents to call their name and talk to them about what they are going to do, such as “Let’s drink some milk”.
When children turn 1 years old, they often start repeating words they hear. It is a good idea for parents to talk to them using simple words, such as “Daddy!” or “Daddy’s home!”. This will encourage them to speak more on their own and be more talkative.
Listen to your child until he/she is finished talking
When children grow up being listened to, they grow up to be able to listen to others. Listening to your child will also help increase their self-esteem because it communicates to them that you care about them. Although it is hard in today’s world, please stop what you are doing and give your child your full attention when they are talking to you.
Ask specific questions
Adults often expect children to “think for themselves”. However, this is difficult if they don’t know how to think yet. If you want your child to think, it is a good idea to ask him/her specific questions, such as “what does it mean?” or “what do you think I should do?”. This will make it easier for your child to think and allow him/her to practice thinking and expressing his/her thoughts. When possible, it is effective to train children to think of their own reasons and help them develop their thinking and judgement skills.
Talking not only increases your vocabulary, but also develops important communication skills such as the ability to think, to listen, and to judge and convey appropriate information. The ability to communicate is a skill that will be needed both during school and after entering the workforce. Getting in the habit of thinking and talking from a young age will help your child become a good communicator when he/she is older.
In addition to parent-child conversations, it is also important for children to have conversations with other children of the same age. Signing your child up for a preschool or mommy & me class is a great way to encourage them to talk with their peers. Having natural conversations through play will help your child acquire strong communication skills.
