Children's Day Special: Important Conversations to Have With Your Child

By Samyati Mohanty

There must be a time and subject for a talk between you and the child, who could be a preschooler, middle-schooler, teenager, or adult. The chats need to be more consistent and routine when the children are younger; as the children turn 18 and enter adulthood, the conversations gradually become more spaced out. But the necessity of having these dialogues always exists, and its importance is indisputable, so this Children's Day on 14th November let's know more about it!

What should you discuss?

It is impossible to overstate the value of conversations between parents and children. The kid should feel at ease talking to his or her parents. Your child's linguistic abilities, particularly vocabulary growth, happen meaningfully as long as parent-child interaction is meaningful. This in turn affects the child's success in school and at college. The child's conversational skills are enhanced via conversations with their parents. In a natural atmosphere, younger children get to know one another and develop verbal abilities.

As the child develops, these conversations result in a discussion on pertinent issues, demonstrating that the child is aware of the importance of selecting appropriate topics, how to stay on the subject, how to guide the conversation towards a meaningful conclusion, how to speak in a way that is acceptable to others, and so forth. The dialogue between parents and children often becomes more open as the child gets older, with the themes becoming more mature. The need to spend time together without interruptions from a blue screen or social media becomes quite important at this point.

A loving and healthy relationship between the child and the parent, as well as one with the child's extended family, neighbours, friends, and others, can be fostered through having quality talks with the child and the parent. There are 5 topics that parents must discuss with their children regardless of age, even if different age groups will have different discussion topics as a focus.

1. The Everyday Stuff

What does this actually mean?

It simply means that parents must and should chat to their children about their days. Whether it was a day at school or college, a holiday, a picnic in the woods, or even just an hour with a friend, having a conversation about the everyday things serves two purposes: it keeps the parent informed about the insignificant details of the child's day, and it gives the child and parent a reason to communicate every day.

Whatever the matter, parents should ask questions and pay attention as their children describe their days to them. There are deeper life lessons ingrained in this sharing of experiences. The  parent-child relationship tends to remain peaceful and lovely when you make an effort to talk about tiny, everyday things. This is another clear benefit of talking about everyday stories: preserving clarity and emotional quality in your relationship.

2. Aspirations, Dreams and Nightmares

• It's crucial to instil in children the importance of aspiration and dreaming, as well as the necessity to listen to their hearts and share their goals with you.
• Additionally, people can use this forum to discuss their worst nightmares, fears, trepidations, and other unfavourable concepts.
• This kind of communication aims to comprehend the child's thought process and mentality while also instilling in him the certainty that, good or bad, you will always be available to listen to him and provide guidance.

3. Health and Fitness

• Health-related topics should be a regular continuous communication between the child and the parents. The main goal is to make sure the child's physical and mental wellbeing are never jeopardised.
• Parents in this situation need to exercise particular caution. Parents should be concerned about their child's physical health, therefore they should constantly emphasise to the child the value of sleep and healthy nutrition as well as what the child consumes, how she/he lives, and how active she/he is. You should continue to inquire about the child's diet, hydration intake, participation in sports, etc. in this situation.
• Mental health and wellbeing are related. Anxiety and depression are prevalent problems affecting young people nowadays. Regular communication with your developing youngster is the best defence against any such risky circumstances.
• Parent-child health conversations should also cover age-appropriate subjects like sexual preferences and activities, drug and alcohol abuse, and smoking. These are weighty subjects, and parents must approach them delicately and carefully.

4. Secrets

• Children can appear to begin to grow apart from their parents for no apparent reason. Most of the time, children find it awkward to confide in their parents about their secrets.
• Keep the lines of communication open to prevent instances when the child feels compelled to hide anything from you or keep it hidden. While children will still harbour some secrets that they feel more comfortable revealing with their friends than with their parents, fostering a happy home environment gives children the trust and security that is so important for their development.

5. Plans

• It is never too early or late to talk to your children about the future. For young children, the plan might be a trip to the museum the following week, while for a teen, it might be picking a professional path. Future-focused discussions aid in helping the child put things in perspective.

+ How do you get them to divulge more?

Making daily dialogue a tradition starting at a young age is one of the finest methods to guarantee that there is a continuing conversation. The habit develops stronger the earlier you start. Do not keep delaying the conversations, and make sure there are no interruptions or diversions when speaking. The mannerisms and behaviour of the youngster might provide parents a lot of cues. Never stop watching the child so you can keep an eye out for nonverbal clues and recognise when a conversation with them is necessary.

+ How to Start a Conversation and Watch for Non-Verbal Cues

Wait for tiny openings, and when you do, take advantage of them right away. Don't let your child's question go unanswered. The young mind can determine if you are paying attention by how available you are to him at all times. Avoid being critical when speaking to your children. The child will flee deeper the more you do this anytime you try to speak to him. Stay in touch with the youngster every day. Make that effort, even if it takes a lot of your time and energy. Don't rush to provide counsel all the time. Most of the time, the child is simply asking for a level discourse rather than a solution.

Let your kid utilise his reasoning skills to come up with a solution. Develop the habit of spending special bonding time with your child by planning special weekends, outings, dinners out, playdates, and movie nights. All children like spending time with their parents when they anticipate engaged and enjoyable talks, whether they are toddlers or teenagers. Parents go lower on their list of priorities when children become older. They take you for granted since they know you are there for them whenever they need you, so accept it as natural and normal and give them some space.