HOW DO I SPEAK WITH MY CHILD?

There is no big secret when is about communicating with your child. The key is to integrate effective language little by little into your parenting until it becomes an habit for you to talk this way.

Remember, the way we talk to our children it will be their inner voice one day.

Let our words be the bricks to build up their self-esteem.

Here are 3 sentence that works every time:

- Next time

- Check yourself

- Please and Thank you

The Next time sentence

This helps the child to focus on what to do rather than what not to do.

Here some examples:

- "Next time, please close the door quietly."

- "Next time, please ask me without shouting"

- "Next time, make sure your toys are tidy up before you go and play outside"

The Check yourself sentence

This allow you to correct your child's behaviour without making them feel wrong.

Here some examples:

- "Can you please check if there is a nicer way to say that?"

- "Please check what voice are you using, we are inside right now"

- "Can you just check to see if you put away the shoes I asked you to pick up?"

Using Please and Thank you

Set an example for your child. Recognize what your child does right and praise them for it.

Here some examples:

- "Couch are not for standing, Please sit on you bottom"

- "Thank you for sitting on your bottom"

- "Please try to use your words when expressing yourself"

- "Thank you, I noticed you made an effort in the way you explained yourself"

- "Please walk. Running is not safe around the pool"-

- "Thank you for walking. You made a safe choice"