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Always
Set the Stage
Be involved in activities with your children
that encourage conversation, such as playing board games,
art projects, coloring, or taking a walk, etc,
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Become
an Active Listener
Practice the art of active listening. The behavior
of active listeners tell those speaking that they’re being
paid attention to. You help your child feel valued when you
actively listen and this in turn makes them more willing to
communicate with you. The skill of active listening is to be
acquired. Below are some techniques that can help master it: |
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- Share
Reflections: “It seems like you are feeling…”
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Ask for Clarification: “Help me understand what you
meant…”
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Speak Encouragingly: “Tell me more…”,
“Can you describe that…”
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Show Interest: “Wow, that must have been…”
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Use Body Language: Make good eye contact. Lean toward them.
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Restate Points: “Tell me if I heard you right…”
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Summarize: “If I understand you correctly, you said…”
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Validate: “You have every right to feel…”
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Empathize: Try to understand their feelings and thoughts.
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Choose
the Best Time to Talk
Make sure that everyone is well-fed, well-rested
and not pressed for time. Consciously make time everyday to
talk to your children.
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Don’t
Nag
When you nag most children will tune you out.
The shorter the message the longer children will retain it.
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Eliminate
Communication-Stoppers
Avoid guilt, commands, ultimatums, judging or
words like “never” or “always”. |
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Focus
Focus on choosing words and concepts that children
will easily understand. |
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Give
Children a Chance to explain.
Avoid jumping to conclusions. |
| Remember,
if the consequences of a conflict will not harm anyone, it is
O.K. to agree to disagree. This approach can be frustrating
to adults, but it can teach children that they have a right
to be different, and that their opinion counts. |
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| Hold
Regular Family Meetings…They Help Bring Families Together! |
- Start early
to establish meetings as a tradition.
- Discuss “Family
Rules”….write them down and post them.
- Discuss
consequences of disobeying the “Family Rules”
- Hold meetings
to discuss good things too.
- Celebrate
at meetings the successes your child makes.
- Decide how
to reinforce and increase progress.
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| Plan
and Do Things Together! |
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- Walks
- Bike Rides
- Tea Parties
- Picnic
- Movies
- Read
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- Sing
- Fly Kites
- Draw
- Paint
- Build
- Watch the
Birds
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- Kick Ball
- Scrapbook
- Put on a
play
- Play Charades
- Go to the
Park
- Board Games
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| Being
together as a family promotes healthy growth and development of your
children. Togetherness not only builds family bonds but creates memories
and traditions that can help support your children’s sense of
security. Togetherness as a family is for a two-parent and a single
parent household. So gather everyone together and have some fun! |
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| When
talking about touchy subjects such as alcohol, tobacco or drug use,
create environment that combines talking with action. The following
four suggestions should help: |
- Know what
your children are doing – their activities and how they
spend their time and who they are spending their time with.
- Be involved
in your children’s lives.
- Always praise
and reward good behavior…never let any opportunity to do
so pass you by.
- Set limits
with clear rules and consequences for breaking them.
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| Remember,
it’s not pestering…..it’s parenting!
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| You
are a living example to your children… |
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When
you make a mistake, admit it and take care of it. |
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Give your
children chores at home to teach them responsibility. |
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Offer your
children choices. Respect your children’s needs and wants.
But remember you make the final decision. |
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Clean up
after yourself, if you leave a mess, so will your children. |
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Research
your decisions. Your children will learn to make good choices. |
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Cooperate
with others and your children will learn teamwork. |
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Reward
responsible decisions with words of praise. |
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Don’t
make comparisons of your child to others. |
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Support
your child’s interests, even if they are different from
yours. |
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Teach your
children to stand up for their beliefs and values. |
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Let your
children make decisions whenever it is safe to do so to encourage
individuality. |
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Let people
know you appreciate them and your children will follow suit. |
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Say “please”
and “thank you” and your children will follow your
lead. |
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Don’t
interrupt and neither will your children. |
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Speak with
respect to all people at all times, including your family members
and your children will too. |
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Be involved
in your community and various service projects together. |
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Provide
unconditional love to your children and they too will learn
to be accepting and compassionate. |
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Allow your
children to make mistakes and learn from their consequences. |
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Expose
your children to learning experiences. |
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Read with
your children or have them read to you daily. |
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Convey
your love of education and insist on good attendance and punctuality. |
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Join your
children in exercise whenever possible-it can build family bonds
and help you stay in shape. Make it fun! |
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Establish
good nutrition habits early in your children’s lives. |
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Be a good
role model to your children. If you don’t want your kids
using alcohol, tobacco or drugs, consider your own use, kids
do notice. |
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| Build
your child’s self-esteem! Using words of praise to help
your child know they are loved and valued is like watering a
garden daily…it makes for a strong, healthy child. |
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You’re
a shining star. |
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Far
Out! |
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Remarkable. |
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You
came through! |
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I’m
proud of you! |
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Unbelievable
work. |
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You’ve
outdone yourself! |
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Hooray
for you! |
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Outstanding
performance. |
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You’re
a good example for others! |
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Way
to go! |
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What
a great idea! |
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You’re
unique. |
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You’re
a big help. |
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Hooray
for you! |
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Exceptional!! |
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You’ve made progress. |
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Bravo! |
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Thanks
for being honest. |
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Super
job! |
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You
figured it out. |
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You’re
a winner! |
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How
artistic. |
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You
should be proud of yourself. |
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What
an imagination! |
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Great
discovery! |
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You’re
neat! |
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You’re
very talented. |
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You’re
so kind. |
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Cool! |
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Superb! |
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What
a great idea! |
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What
a great listener. |
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Very
brave. |
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Spectacular
work. |
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You’re
a big help. |
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Good work!
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That’s
incredible! |
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| Warning
Signs of Childhood Problems |
DRUG
USE: Watch for the following
signs. |
- Slurred speech or incoherence
- Change in clothing choice
- Fatigue or excessive drowsiness
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- Change in friendships
- Radical mood changes
- Decline in grooming and/or personal hygiene
- Bleary eyes with changed pupils
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| Whether
you may realize it or not, many drugs are readily available to children.
Keep your conversations open with your children about the dangers
and consequences of alcohol, tobacco and drug use. Informing them
of the dangers carries more weight than simply telling them to say
“No!”. If your child is addicted to alcohol, tobacco or
drugs don’t hesitate to seek professional help. Call the Region
5 Prevention Resource Center toll-free at 1-888-PRC-TEXX for more
information. |
| DEPRESSION: Watch
for the following signs. |
- Difficulty getting along with others.
- Restlessness or irritability
- Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
- Weight or appetite change
- Loss of interest in activities
- Lack of energy
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- Change in sleep patterns
- Falling grades in school
- Difficulty or inability to concentrate or focus
- Frequent headaches, stomachaches or body aches
- Talk about suicide, even said as a joke
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| Did
you know that millions of American children suffer from depression?
Children suffering from depression need the attention of a professional
counselor. Always check with your child’s
doctor to determine if a symptom is a medical problem that requires
and office visit. Suicidal thoughts or discussions should always be
taken seriously! Seek help immediately! |
