Most parents will agree that parenting today is a lot different from how it used to be many years ago. In this modern era, there is a great need for parents to have a good relationship with their children; else, there is little to understanding between them. Now more than ever, good communication is important between a parent and a child as this can greatly influence the development of a child.
As a parent, have you ever wondered why your child may choose to share their secrets with their siblings or friends rather than you? Do you often wonder why your child never wants to share their daily experience with you? Even when you do a lot of pep talk and counselling, they still tend to look elsewhere for advice than to come to you.
There could be many reasons to this but a major is poor ability to communicate emotions with a child; many parents say one thing with their mouth while their body language gives a negative vibe of something opposite to the words spoken. Some children are afraid to express their fears and worries to their parents because they feel that they may get judged from the perception they get from the parent’s facial expression.
As a parent, it is important that you understand how your non-verbal communication affects your child. You need to know that the things you do not say but express non-verbally can hurt the relationship your child has with you. Your body language is enough to let your child know whether they can share a secret with you or not.
So what are the common negative body vibes that parents express that can cause a gap between a parent and a child?
- Looking away or focusing more on your phone than them when they wish to share something intimate with you.
- Expressing a face of displeasure or disappointment when you hear from them what you do not expect.
- Always in a hurry to find a solution to their problems without even wanting to listen to them.
These are some things that have caused some children to trust people other than their parents for moral support. In order to check these acts, you need to be able to:
- Clearly express yourself both in words and action that you are honestly open to their worries and fears.
- Listen actively without any form of preconceived judgment.
Relationship between child and parent can be strengthened when parents learn to understand how important it is to build on their communication skills.