When we are asked those common questions of “What things did you do the most right?” and “What things did you do wrong?” (or any version of those), we immediately know a solid answer to the first one: One thing that we have done right in our parenting for thirty-three years is talk to our kids—all the time, about everything, never ceasing, without hesitation. We made time, and we always talked.
The family that plays together…talks together!
So in honor of that frequent question, I have been pondering how to help parents talk to their kids more. I recently did a podcast episode called “Ways to Spend More Time With Your Kids in the Coming Year,” which definitely delved into some of our “talking tips,” but I wanted to do more—times to talk to kids, how to talk to littles, ways to get teens to talk more, how to let your kids know that you want to know what is in their hearts, how to weed through the clutter to what your child is really feeling, and more.
Talk while you are out and about–and teach every where you go with your child!
So….in 2016, I am going to run a series called 52 Weeks of Talking to Our Kids. Each week I will run a different blog post about talking—where, when, how, who, why, and more. From “Baby Talk” (our first post in a day or two) to how to get your teen to open up. From asking the right questions to techno free zones. From the role of food and fun (!) in talking to availability.
Talk where ever your kids like to be!
I hope you will join me. We are firm believers that one of the best ways to love our kids is to be available. And one of the best ways to teach our kids everything we want to teach them is through the avenue of communication—talking.
Dates with kids are good times to talk!
