Age-Appropriate Tips To Get The Conversation Started And Keep It Going

There are some conversations with kids that are difficult at any age. From the young child who walks in on mummy and daddy having an early morning “wrestle” in bed, to the pre-teen who can’t understand why no matter how hard they try they can never get a first-place ribbon in the sport they love. Discover different ways to engage kids to have hard conversations, how to encourage open dialogue and offer age-appropriate tips to get the conversation started and keep it going.

- Carrol Baker

Loui’s three-year-old daughter marched up to her, hands on hips and looked her right in the eye. “Mummy, is it true that babies come out of ladies’ belly buttons?” After a harrowing week of deadlines, Loui didn’t have the emotional energy to think of an appropriate response. Instead, she scooped up her child, smothered her with kisses and took her out to the swings to play.

There are always going to be confronting or uncomfortable conversations people will need to share, whether it’s to resolve conflict, provide information that might hurt another or discuss a topic that’s personally awkward for you. Ironically, it’s often the conversations we don’t want to have that are the most important ones we need to.

Another layer of complexity is added if it’s a difficult topic or when the person we need to share it with is our kids. That’s because as parents we want to protect our children. So sometimes having conversations we know might cause them angst or pain seems at odds with our role as caregivers to nurture and protect them.

But by navigating tough conversations with your children with grace, by sharing openly and honestly, and by really listening to them, you are equipping your child with valuable tools that will help them throughout their lives.

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