When You “Cue” Your Kids for Talk Time—Our Talking Song
“Talk to me; show me that you care. Talk to me; listen to the words I say. Talk to me; there’s so much we can share. I know you love me when you talk to me.”
I can still sing it from memory. And so can my kids. It was our talk song. And now I am crying.
Years ago we used to listen to a “cassette” that had this catchy, heart-warming song on it about talking. The chorus was that “talk to me” line above. I wish you could hear it being sung as it is so sweet.
Like a lot of things that we heard, read, or watched together as a family, it became part of us. And we used it…over and over and over again. And never tired of.
Kid seemed out of sorts when we tucked them in, we sang it: “Talk to me; show me that you care. Talk to me; listen to the words I say. Talk to me; there’s so much we can share. I know you love me when you talk to me.”
Silence in the car with one child, we sang it: “Talk to me; show me that you care. Talk to me; listen to the words I say. Talk to me; there’s so much we can share. I know you love me when you talk to me.”
While we sang it to the child to get them talking, the last line was really about us talking to them—they knew we loved them because we talked to them….and this song reminded them of that.
It reminded them that they can tell us what they are thinking because they know we love them because we DO talk to them.
It reminded them that we are a talking family with parents who listen.
It reminded them of the last time we sang it and talked—and that it felt good to do so.
Cues. Reminders. Talk tools. Heart prodders.
These things—whether they are rhymes, jingles, movie lines, song lyrics, or jokes—they become part of our family and can lead to great talks.
Here are a few more to get you started, but use whatever is part of YOUR family to cue your children to talk!
(1) A penny for your thoughts….
(2) DETAILS!
(3) Silence is not golden!!
(4) What’s going on in there? (See Asking Questions)
(5) ‘Fess up!
6) What ya thinkin’?
(7) Hey, it’s just the two of us….let’s talk about ______ (See Keep Kids Close Coupons)
8) What do you think of ________________
What are your family’s “talk tools” or talking cues? When and how do you use them?
Links:
52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids: When You “Sit” In Your House
52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids: Drive Time
52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids: When You Just Need to Listen
Four Things Teens and Young Adults Need
[Podcast] Keeping Close During Intense Training Times
[Podcast] Ways to Spend More Time With Your Kids
