Parenting has come a long way. The new generation of parents takes a keen interest in the life of children, not just how much they score in their exams. The new-age kids share a friendly bond with their parents, but it doesn’t happen in a day. It requires effort and consistent communication from both sides. Maintaining transparent communication with your child is the key to cracking the code of effective parenting.
By ensuring open and honest communication with your child, you can help them develop in more ways than you know. Research by Developmental Psychology (2018) showed that adolescents who felt comfortable discussing their problems with their parents had higher levels of self-esteem and greater resilience in the face of stress. With the pressure to perform at school and get good grades, support from parents is much needed. Be all ears to listen to them, hype them up, and relieve their stress.
This is just one of the many ways you can make an impact in your child’s life by ensuring transparent communication. Let’s dive into the other benefits.
Why is transparent communication important?
Transparency in communication builds a healthy parent-child relationship. The child feels safe and secure in expressing themselves freely in front of their parents. Parents also become a reliable source of information as trust and belief in them deepen through open and honest communication.
Besides strengthening the parent-child bond, studies have shown a good impact on kid’s emotional and mental health. Good mental health improves children’s academic performance. With the support of their parents and good family communication skills, they feel much more confident in their abilities to perform and achieve great success.
Read the communication strategies for parents below, suggested by CBSE schools promoting communication:
How do we establish transparent communication with children?
- Listen actively
The parent-child bond is sensitive, especially when your kid is going through adolescence. It is a phase of their life when they feel the most unheard and have different emotions rushing through their mind. You can help your child navigate this phase of your life by listening to their feelings and opinions without judgment. Make them comfortable and let them know you are the one they can come to when they feel overwhelmed. Listen to them actively and leave no room for miscommunication. Clear communication happens when you listen with clarity.
- Be honest with them
According to CBSE schools promoting communication, ensuring transparent communication requires effort from both sides. If you want your kid to be honest with you and share things without hesitation, set an example for them. Take the lead, make the first step by being honest and let them follow. Children are always curious; answer their inquisitive questions with honesty, and in case you don’t know the answer, just tell them, “I am not sure; let’s find out together.”
- Build mutual trust
Open and honest communication can happen only if there is trust. But the thing about trust is that it doesn’t happen overnight; it develops slowly. You just have to take small steps toward developing mutual trust. Be honest with them, answer the why behind the things, and keep your promises. For example, when you cancel your counting plan, let them know why you have to do it and what’s keeping you busy. And make sure to take them out when you promise to compensate by taking them to the mall the next weekend. This approach emphasises aligning communication with kids, fostering transparency, and building mutual trust.
- Regular check-ins
Shy children find it hard to break the ice and may not get too comfortable too soon to share their feelings. This can create communication gaps and keep them stuck. To ensure effective communication in parenting, make the first move and ignite a conversation from your side. CBSE schools promoting communication suggest regular check-ins on them or developing a habit of asking bedtime questions. Ask them how their day was, what the best thing they did, or how they are feeling today – these little questions can give you a deep insight into how they are doing emotionally. No one gets fully transparent in a day, it takes consistent efforts to develop an open and judgment-free bond.
- Use appropriate words
Be mindful of the words you use while conversing. Words have power, one negative word can leave a hurtful impact on your child. Remember the popular saying, ‘Talk to listen, not to respond’ When you focus too much on responding, you overlook the major issue and end up hurting the other person. Make sure you understand the situation and respond using the right vocabulary. Try to be less critical and more supportive. Give suggestions and not orders. Show them the right path, but don’t force them to follow you. Keep the conversations on a positive note.
The holistic development of children depends on the healthy bond they share with their parents. A child who feels loved and supported shines brighter in each aspect. The Blue Bells School, one of the CBSE schools promoting communication, enhances the child’s personality and overall well-being. Parents must take this cue to unlock a more vibrant and confident version of their child.
