How to Get Your Child to Talk to You

It is natural to want to know what is going on in your child's life. In fact, it is healthy to have open communication with your child. It is not uncommon to hear a parent complaining that their child won't talk to them. This especially applies to teenagers. Many parents find that a child that was once very communicative, becomes closed mouthed when they become teenagers. Maybe the child was never communicative at all. As much as parent doesn't want to hear it, the fault usually lies in the parent.

There are six secrets to open communication with your child. 1) Not being judgmental. 2) Not giving your child the fifth degree and battering them with a million questions. 3) Patience. 4) Trust. 5) Confidentiality. 6) Admit when you are wrong. All of this may sound simple but it is not as easy as it sounds.

Not being judgmental
One of the main things that parents do, is being judgmental towards their children. Children are human and they make their own mistakes. They want to be able to come to you with out being judged for their actions. If they fear that you are going to freak out and judge them for what they have revealed to you, they aren't going to confide in you. It ts natural for parents to want their children to live perfect lives. We don't want them getting into trouble. I am not saying that we should never punish our children. But, we have to be selective when we do it. Let me ask you this, would you rather punish your child for every little thing and not know half of what they do, or would you rather your child come to you with their problems and in doing so you know what is going on in their lives? I would rather that they confide in me. Really, it is much more beneficial when they do confide in you. If they feel free to talk to you, they will also be much more prone to listening to your advice. No one wants to feel judged and no one wants to fear talking to someone. Take the fear and judgment away and you have a a person that will look forward to confiding in. If you give your child honest advice without judgment and punishment, they will respect your opinion.