Talking well with a child means listening to their emotions and giving them the basics of communication. Overview of the winning principles for knowing how to talk to children.

Even when young, a child can understand many things. Simple and precise vocabulary is essential when speaking to a child. You just need to avoid words that are too long or too complicated and articulate clearly. By expressing yourself with precision, with well-constructed sentences and exact pronunciation, you help the child to gain oral fluency.

When the child is small, be careful not to imitate his pronunciation errors when he confuses several consonants for example, or if he distorts a word. Rather, use the appropriate word, for example “the horse” and not the “hobby horse”. To develop your vocabulary, you can gradually insert new words, being careful to explain them and reusing them several times during the following days. Do not hesitate to ask him about these new words to check that he has integrated them well, the more you use them, the more easily he will assimilate them. This is how, little by little, the child learns.

To develop a dialogue with the child, you need to pay attention to his availability. If, for example, he’s watching TV or playing video games, it’s a safe bet that he will only half listen to you. Dinner or bedtime can be great times to talk, as long as you don’t bring up subjects that can be disturbing for the child. Also, if possible, choose a calm and distraction-free setting to talk to. Devote all your attention to him by avoiding engaging in several activities at the same time: he must perceive that you are listening to him fully in order to feel confident.

During the discussion, also pay attention to the child’s attitudes and actions. Know how to interpret the signs: for example, if he is in the closed position, with a distant or elusive gaze, it is certainly because he is in a situation of discomfort. Above all, don’t insist if he doesn’t feel like talking to you at the moment, he may be tired or not yet ready to chat with you. Respect his choice and eventually let him come to you by explaining to him that you are available to listen to him.

When chatting with a child, pay attention to the words you use. Be careful to be exact and not to overdo it. The child is sensitive to generalization and words like “never”, “always”, “every time”, can be experienced as reproaches, lead him to shut down. Likewise, calm disagreement is a lifelong learning process.

If you don’t agree with him, respect his point of view and don’t pass judgment on his idea. Explain to him that it is completely normal not to agree on everything, systematically, so that he does not shine. Teach him to talk calmly when there is opposition or disagreement. Discussing is also debating and arguing, all of which are qualities that can be useful in life. In addition, it is a behavior that he will then reproduce with his comrades.

To avoid imposing a hierarchical relationship between an adult and a child during a conversation, never forget to stand up to them. It doesn’t mean imitating him, it just means empathizing and trying to put yourself in his shoes in order to see things through his childish eyes. If you are not sure you understood what he just said, rephrase his words in your own words. It is generally better to avoid overwhelming the child with questions because it is a behavior that can be experienced as intrusive or unsettling. You can reflect on what the child has just said by expressing your opinion.

Then let it open up at its own pace. To help him understand what he is going through, do not hesitate to put words on the emotions he seems to be experiencing, through sentences such as “I see that you are sad” or “that put you in. anger”. Naming is often enough to comfort the child who no longer feels isolated in his sensation. Finally, include him as often as possible in activities with adults, so that he feels important and loved.

Communicating with children is wonderful because that’s how they build themselves, little by little. Knowing how to talk to children depends on good listening, clear speech, empathy sincere and an ability to measure up to them.