Creating an environment that teaches our children to communicate can be difficult. As they get older, they start to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves. Instead of talking to their parents like they did as toddlers, they find friends to confide in.
Moms can challenge this by showing their kids that their voice matters and they’re valuable. Here are a few things moms can do with their family to boost communication with their children.
Have Distraction Free Family Dinner
Dinner time tends to become all about rushing around trying to get your family taken care of so you can finally sit down and eat a meal. In reality, dinner is the one time of the day you can pause everything and sit down with your family.
Bring all of the food and drinks to the table so you can sit down together and avoid getting up every few minutes to refill your child’s water cup. Then you have the ability to focus on talking with your family rather than running from task to task.
Ask Your Children Open Ended Questions
When you’re talking with your kids, try to avoid only using yes and no questions. Instead, start including more open-ended questions into your conversations. It’s a simple way to promote more communication. It’s also going to help your children make a habit of expressing what they’re thinking.
Go Out On Mommy Dates
As moms, we value date nights because it’s the time we get to focus on our relationship with our spouse. Date nights with our children are just as important! Make time each week to take them out. It shows your kids how much you value spending time with them. It also creates a safe space for them to talk with you.
Share Your Feelings Together
Kids learn through example. If you start sharing your feelings with your children, they’re going to feel safe enough to do the same thing. Opening up to your children reminds them that feelings are valid because we ALL experience them. It’s easy for kids to think people won’t understand what they’re going through and end up bottling it up, or only confiding in their friends.
Ask Their Opinion
Be open to asking your child’s opinion. You can ask what they think about a movie, where they think you family should vacation over the summer, how they think your family can spend family night, etc. There are so many opportunities you have throughout the day to ask your children their opinion. Asking their opinion empowers them and reminds them how important they are to you.
How do you boost communication with your kids? Comment below and tell me about it.
Brittany is my blogging buddy from The Almost Indian Wife. Check her out on Facebook & Instagram.
Thanks for these tips! We are still in the toddler phase so our daughter loves to talk but I am totally going to bookmark this for the future!
They grow so quickly Sally! She’ll be ready for this before you know it. Thanks for stopping by.
I love all these ideas! A distraction free dinner is so important and my son really loves his dates with mommy. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading Christina. We rarely have distraction free dinners. That’s something I need to work on.