The moment you learn that you’re going to be a parent is one of the most exciting times in your life. But, it’s also a challenging call. Raising children requires patience, selflessness, and consistency.

One of the most important skills for any parent to have is parent communication. Parent-child communication requires you to walk a fine line.

On one hand, parents must set clear, specific limits on a child’s behavior. However, they must also be open with children. Every parent wants their child to feel comfortable telling them about anything.

Fortunately, there are specific communication styles that can help you with this. We’ll give you some tips on these styles in the guide below!

Proactive Parent Communication

Psychology Today identified three parent communication styles in 2019. These three were:

  • reactive
  • wavering
  • proactive

Reactive parenting styles usually result in prolonged conflicts with children. Essentially, this style relies on waiting for children to mess up before setting any limitations. Understandably, this approach often frustrates children.

Wavering styles differ in that they set boundaries for children. However, wavering parents are often inconsistent in enforcing those boundaries.

Finally, there’s the proactive method of child communication. This approach sets firm, undeniable boundaries for the family. This way, your child knows their limits and can choose to act accordingly.

Over time, you can adapt these limits as necessary to foster your child’s growth. However, if they violate your rules, follow that violation with a decisive punishment.

Practice Active Listening with Your Child

Sometimes, you may think you don’t know how to talk with your child. In reality, maybe you’re doing too much talking. Sometimes, parents discover they need to do more listening.

Once again, this takes a proactive form. When you see your child after school, start a conversation by asking how their day was. Even this simple step opens the communication lines.

When you have a conversation with your child, give your undivided attention. Learn who their friends are. Listen to what they think of their teachers.

As the conversation progresses, provide the appropriate responses. These may sound like simple steps, but you’d be amazed how many people ignore these practices.

Nonverbal Communication with Children

When people think about how to talk to kids, they understandably focus on speech. However, there are other ways to communicate with your children, too.

Some children struggle to learn verbal communication. One example of this is nonverbal autism.

If your child struggles with their verbal development, there are some accommodations you can make. One way to do this is to learn sign language.

A less drastic approach is to use physical indicators. One example of this is to make eye contact whenever you need your child’s attention.

Don’t Give Up

Parent communication, like parenting itself, can be a process of trial and error. You’re not going to get it right every time.

But don’t give up! After all, this is your child. Nobody loves this child like you, and they love you, too. So long as you keep trying, you’ll find a way to communicate efficiently.

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