Good Talking, Good Listening

Effective communication with children is essential for maintaining a happy and smoothly run family life. The articles below include active listening activities for both parents and children and will help families hone their communication skills. Parent-child communication is one of the most important protective factors against risky behavior in children.

For more communication activities, visit our Conversation Starters page.

Time to Listen
Storytelling is not a time for adults to simply read books to children. It’s a time to bring oral stories to life through expressive communication. It’s a time to make up stories together and time to listen to each other’s stories. Performing and listening develop communication skills, increase vocabulary, and encourage creativity.

Following Directions
Following directions is an important life skill for children to learn. To make learning to follow directions easier, it is important for parents to follow some sound tips for giving directions.

Caring and Sharing
Learning to care for or share with others can be difficult for young children because they are so focused on themselves. But, thinking about others—their feelings and their needs—is a critical social skill.

Creative Play
Young children learn and experience new things through their imagination. As parents, we need to remember that the basics of how children learn is not only 1+1=2 or “b” is the beginning sound in “baby.” It is also in their telling you about pictures in clouds, building new worlds with blocks and clay, and making up stories about an imaginary friend.

Humor and Kids
According to KidsHealth, children laugh about 200 times each day; adults laugh only 15 to 18 times. Laughter can help you and your children communicate better and build emotional bonds. "Laughing Is Good for You and Your Child" from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), states that having a sense of humor is good for a child's mental and physical well-being.

Change and Stress
Change, whether planned or unexpected, is hard for young children to understand and accept. When change happens because of a natural disaster or other crisis, loss adds even greater stress. Children may have a hard time talking about their feelings, but you often can see telltale signs of distress.

Kids' Safety Tips
You don't have to scare young children when you talk about child safety. Before you start your talk, make sure they know you don't expect anything bad will happen to them. You want them to know how to be safe. Even the youngest children need to know what to do if they get lost in the park or at the mall. They need to feel safe talking about worries they have about other children or adults.

When the News Is Frightening
Although it may seem a bit silly to worry about "current events" with preschoolers, our national obsession with 24-hour news coverage and constant visual reminders of disastrous events in the news pretty much guarantee that even young children are exposed to the news.

Tips on Talking
No matter how old they are, talking with your children is one of the most important things you can do to help them grow up confident and secure.