When we pick up our child at daycare or school after a day at work, we can not wait to find out what he did, what he ate, who he had fun with, in short, EVERTHING. But in fact, it’s not that easy! Our little ones are often stingy with words. How can we encourage them to say more? Here are some ways to help you untie small languages:
– Knowing the schedule and activities of your child will allow you to ask him specific questions about his day
– Asking questions that offer choices rather than open questions will help your child answer you more easily
– If your child does not want to talk, give him time in silence, do not constantly insist that he speaks to you
– Enunciate with your child short sequences of events that happen in a day so that he can complete them (ex: you woke up, you ate, and after?)
– Taking pictures of your child at different times of the day and asking him to put them in order and explain what he was doing will help him understand the sequence principle
– Ask your child for the times of the day he preferred while sharing yours
– Making jokes or exaggerations can also bring lightness and a touch of humor and encourage your child to say more
– Playing with stuffed animals or dolls and describing in detail what they do will help your child detail their own day
– Talk to your spouse about your day in front of your child will give you an idea of what you expect from him when you ask him about his day
– Be attentive and patient with your child when he talks about his day even if sometimes it seems long and disjointed! We must show the importance of listening
– Here are some ideas for questions that may be of interest to your child: Who did you play with? Did something funny happen? Did you do a special activity? Did you eat something new for lunch?