Pay Attention

Feeling disconnected from your child? Don’t always know what to talk to them about beyond daily dialogue (or monologue!)? Would you like a better relationship and to build more of a connection? In this blog I show in just 4 steps how you can boost your connection with your child and build a better relationship!

1. Pay attention to what grabs their attention. Think about what your child is interested in. Is it LEGO, unicorns, soccer or bugs? What is their go-to toy? What do they like to build, read about, watch on TV and play with their friends or siblings? If you are aware and in tune with this, you are ready to boost your connection.

2. Next, show an interest in what they are interested in. Use this knowledge as a way to talk to your child. Ask them what they are building with their LEGO. Or ask them what their favourite unicorn would look like. Ask them questions about their interest and it will spark conversation and connection. You may even join in the conversation by telling them what you like too or what you liked when you were their age.

3. Be prepared that it is natural for small children to regularly change their interests so go with the flow and have the conversation regularly. If you notice your child doing something different or new, such as drawing, you could ask, “I notice you are drawing pictures a lot lately, do you like drawing? What is it you like to draw?”

4. Think about something you enjoy too, now that you are regularly noticing what your child is interested in, you can also try to encourage their interest in something you enjoy or are good at. Maybe you really like looking after and growing plants or maybe you have a keen interest in exercise. Many of the things we like to do or even the chores we need to do, are valuable and fun for our children to get involved with. Next time you walk the dog, ask your child if they would like to come along and help. Or encourage them to help you water your plants every Saturday. Whatever it is, if you ask for their help and encourage them to do it with you, it will spark conversation and time spent together which builds connection. Or maybe you might like to sit and build LEGO with them once in a while!

There you have it! A few simple ways to boost your relationship with your child and enhance those connections and conversations.

And if you would like to know more about how you can help your child grow and develop, head over to my Resources page and grab yourself one of my videos in the series "Love Chalkie's Practical Guide To Child Development".