I have been thinking about this a lot lately.. For a few reasons…Having had a few kid clients with delayed speech, having to present a few workshops, had a few business meetings, and teaching my daughter stuff she wants to learn.. We communicate every day. Some people are better at it than others. And it got my wondering why..
and the answer simply is they learnt how to do it.. As a mother, it is my role to teach my child soooo much stuff, but learning how to communicate is crucial! And I am not just talking about talking.. although that is important, I feel it is HOW we use words is more important than simply being able to use words…
SO, onto children…. tantrums often stem from an inability to communicate. This is why I encourage new parents to learn baby sign language! As your toddler gets older, it’s the language of EMOTION that they have trouble with.. We need to help them.. Give them skills to deal with feeling sad, frustrated, angry. teach them the difference between a silly mood and a happy mood.. HOW?? WORDS!
Reading books every night to your child is beneficial on many levels. It is still time, bonding time, education time, imagination time. It teaches them new language skills in a way that the child doesn’t even realise they are learning! Reading a book is not a “lesson” in itself, but we learn many things from them. Whether it is fact or fiction, it helps us instill more communication skills in our kids!
When you child is starting to talk, encourage them! When they are asking you about “stuff” don’t dumb it down. When they are angry, ask them “are you angry?” this helps them identify their emotions and they can communicate better!
Happy communicating!!