Effectively communicating with children is easier said than done. Children can experience a range of barriers which prevent effective child-parent communication. These include lack of emotional control, behavioural issues or other factors within the home.
But with the right strategies and support, parents and carers can unlock effective communication with their children, encouraging strong relationships and allowing for the overcoming of issues at home.
Here, Anglicare Victoria explains some techniques which help to foster effective communication between parents and children, and other avenues of support available to families in Victoria.
What is effective communication?
Communication takes many forms. Verbal communication is the way we communicate with words, and it involves our pitch, tone, word choice, and even dialect. Nonverbal communication is both intentional and unintentional communication through body language, including facial expressions, body stance, eye contact, hand gestures and physical space.
Effective communication between parents and children is when all of these communication methods contribute to a positive communication flow between both parties.
Methods to unlock effective communication with your child
While every child is different, they all have the same communication needs: to be heard, to felt understood, and to be given effective guidance by parents and carers. Methods to achieve effective communication with your child include:
- Active listening
Actively listening ensures your child feels that they’re being heard and understood. We can engage in active listening by giving eye-contact, affirming nods, using open body language and getting down to the same eye level as the child.
- Speaking clearly and calmly
Speaking clearly and calmly means using language that children can easily understand, in a tone of voice that is appropriate for the situation. While it may be easily to lose our temper when children exhibit challenging behaviour, it is more effective to communicate clearly and firmly without resorting to yelling.
- Praise good behaviour
While offering rewards like sweets for good behaviour can send the wrong message to children, praising good behaviour sets a clear expectation of why children do the right thing. Praising good behaviour is better than a reward system.
Anglicare Victoria’s ParentZone
While these techniques may work great in some circumstances, they may not be enough to establish effective communication lines between parent and child. That’s where Anglicare Victoria’s ParentZone program can provide support. The program gives parents the tools they need to be able to effectively communicate with children and foster better relationships within families.
For parents wanting to unlock more effective communication with their child, Anglicare Victoria’s ParentZone program is a free and open resource for carers across Victoria. Through open discussion and learning from parenting specialists, attendees are able to create long-lasting, positive change within the family dynamic. Get in touch with Anglicare Victoria today and establish better communication as a parent through our ParentZone program.
