Tag Archives: effective communication

Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

Writers are often told to show, don’t tell. In the world of parenting when communicating with our kids we should tell, don’t ask. In the book, What Did I Just Say!?!, by Denis Donovan and Deborah McIntyre, parents are encouraged to say what you mean and mean what you say. If you are trying to get your toddler to come and sit down next to you, for example, you shouldn’t ask if he wants to come and sit next to you, you should tell him to come and sit down. When I noticed this book in the library I grabbed … Continue reading →

Words You Should Use Every Day With Your Kids

In an earlie r blog,I wrote how parents should strive to always select appropriate words when communicating with their kids. Did you know there are certain words we should use with our kids every day? There are, according to Dr. Vera Lane and Dr. Dorothy Molyneaux, specialists in child-language development and family communication. Parents should strive to use the following phrases with their kids at least once a day. Thank you – Let’s kids know you appreciate their attempts to help others. Tell me more– Shows your kids you are interested in what they are talking about. You can do … Continue reading →

Conversing With Our Kids

Words have the power to heal or to hurt. The words we choose to utter have a profound effect on the recipient and on the sender. We should always strive to speak in positive terms. This is especially true of the words we speak to our kids. Not only words that we might throw out in anger but also words we use in our everyday conversation. I’m reading a book called Who Moved My BlackBerry? It’s a satirical look at the corporate world told entirely in a series of email and text messages. I thought it might be fun to … Continue reading →

Do You Talk To Your Kids Or At Them?

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An older gentleman remarked to me recently that parents today spend a lot of time talking at their kids instead of talking to them. He said he understood that with parents working longer hours today it was sometimes hard to find time to talk to our kids but felt we should make an effort to do so. As I thought about this remark, I realized that he’s right. We communicate with our kids all the time, yes, but how much of that time is spent talking to them? Many times, we’re barking orders, fussing, nagging, giving directives. After my conversation … Continue reading →

The 3 C’s Of Effective Communication

How good of a communicator are you when it comes to talking to your kids? Are you wishy-washy? Do you beg, plead and coax your kids into doing what you want them to do? John Rosemond in his book, The New Six Point Plan for Raising Healthy, Happy Children, says that parents have to learn to give instructions to their kids that are commanding, concise and concrete. He calls these the three C’s of good communication. Commanding When communicating with your child speak directly to them using authoritative statements such as, “I want you to..” or “It’s time to…” If … Continue reading →