Mama: Arush, how was school?
Arush: Ummm…good.
Papa: Ria, what did you do today?
Ria: Aaah…I forgot, papa.
This is probably the biggest challenge of parenting – communicating.
Do you sometimes wonder what’s really going on in your child’s little head? Hurdles that may seem trivial to us, could be really big to them… so we must keep an open communication channel. But little children tend to clam up when asked a direct question or are unable to verbalise (due to still developing self-awareness and vocabulary).
That’s why we have to figure out ingenious ways to understand our children. In all the daily chaos, things to do and people around, it’s important to squeeze in that hour of one on one special bonding time with your little one… time to chat about what’s really happening and help them work through their little problems. Those of us who are working, have very little time and find this even more difficult. So, here’s an age-old trick to help…
At the end of a long active day, avoid a cranky crash by creating a fun bedtime routine. Get cosy in a comfortable spot with your little one along with a lovely storybook. Make sure both of you can clearly see the pictures and enjoy reading with lots of funny sounds and gestures.
Unlike screens, books help children to focus, calm down and eventually make falling asleep easier. Cuddling and pouring over the pictures together along with listening to the sound of your voice, is very re-assuring and makes your child feel loved and secure.
At first, children just listen and then start connecting the pictures and story with their own world. Then, they will start sharing their own stories with you – some imaginary and some real. Take the time to delve a little more, ask questions and the door to your child’s mind is open for you! The power of your child’s mind to learn, connect ideas, imagine and enquire is fascinating!
At the same time, the books help your little one to learn, improve listening and vocabulary skills and most importantly learn life values. Give your child a head-start by starting the reading habit in the early years… How to do this and which books should you select for your child? Watch this space for our next post – an easy guide to selecting children’s storybooks!
