Ways To Effectively Communicate With Your Child

Here at Great Outdoors Pediatric Dentistry, we love our little patients! We know that the children we treat are the future of our world, and it’s so important to make sure they’re healthy and taken care of. However, we also know that children can be a challenge and that it can be difficult to learn how to talk so kids will listen.

The way you talk to your child will have such a huge impact on the way they see the world and communicate with others. Below are a few tips on how to effectively communicate with your child in a way that will get your point across and teach them their own communication skills:

How To Talk To Your Child

• Get down to their level. By getting at their eye-level, this will help them to focus. It’s hard for them to pay attention if they have to crane their neck to make eye contact with you.
• Address your child by name. Starting any request or conversation with your child’s name will help them to focus and feel connected.
• Keep it brief. Kids don’t have the greatest attention spans! Too much talking will cause your child’s mind to wander and will increase the likelihood that they’ll tune you out.
• Keep it simple. Be aware of the age and maturity level of the child you’re speaking to and tailor your conversation and vocabulary to suit their ability to understand. If you’re not sure you’re being understood, have the child repeat your request back to you.
• Soften your voice. If and when a tantrum arises, lower your voice. The louder your child gets, the softer your response should be. If you yell back, the situation will escalate and your child won’t feel heard. Sometimes all a kid needs is to feel that someone is listening and this will wind the tantrum down more quickly.
• Give your child advance notice of what’s about to happen. Say things like “we’re leaving the park in 10 minutes” and then remind again at 5 minutes and 2 minutes. This allows your child to mentally prepare for leaving the playground, taking a nap, or any other situation they may have trouble with.

We know it’s so important for parents to connect with children, both for the well-being of the child and the sanity of the parent!

For more tips on keeping your child healthy, or to make an appointment with our skilled pediatric dentist, Dr. Wilson, please contact Great Outdoors Pediatric Dentistry, located in Dover, New Hampshire!