People must understand the importance of talking with their children. My quest today is to encourage all parents to find the time to talk with their children. Although we believe they do not understand research proves the benefits of conversing with our children.
So, why should we talk to our children? These are my top three reasons.
- It helps to learn the language.
Children learn through imitation. Think about it! How marvellous it is to see a child absorb a language so quickly. Talking with your baby creates the conditions for the child to listen to words and sentences. The more vocabulary you use, the more the child learns. It also teaches them well mannered conversation.
- Enhances Emotional Intelligence.
Emotional intelligence involves a person recognizing his/her emotions. Show your kids how to do it. Talk about emotions. Teach them to differentiate feelings and understand themselves.
- Makes talking a way to deal with issues.
Refusing to talk about issues inevitably teaches children that conversations are not a tool to address issues. This leads people to bottle up issues and feelings, which may otherwise be resolved in a well-mannerly conversation. Seeing a parent talk about things teaches a child that it is OK to discuss issues.