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Words to Use with Your Kids Every Day
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Communicating with your child involves more than the words and phrases you use. What you are saying will be more effective if you:
- Try to speak to your child in a pleasant tone of voice, instead of an angry one.
- Speak in a light conversational tone instead of yelling. If you do end up yelling, apologize to your child.
- Take the time to really communicate with your child, instead of rushing through a conversation.
- Devote your full attention to your child when she is talking to you, and try not to let your mind wander.
- Use facial expressions that correspond to the words you're speaking and the emotions you're feeling.
- Let your love and respect for your child guide your words and actions.
- Let the responsibility of being a parent be reflected in your willingness to take control when it's necessary.
- Smile more often than you frown.
Excepted from "Words to Parent By," March 1999, in Our Children, the official magazine of the National PTA.
About the authors: Vera Lane, Ph.D. and Dorothy Molyneaux, Ph.D., are specialists in child-language development and family communication. Dr. Lane is associate dean and Dr. Molyneaux is professor emerita at the San Francisco State University College of Education.
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