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Effective communication has always been the cornerstone of healthy relationships. The statement especially holds true when it comes to the relationship between parents and children. While parents can communicate however they like, they mostly default to asking questions. It often helps them initiate conversations and learn more about their kids, but what if we tell you there is a better way to communicate with your little ones?

We at Sapphire International School ranked among the best cbse school in noida, firmly believe that when it comes to communicating with your kids, a better way out is to skip the question route and resort to statements instead. It might sound absurd, but this simple change can benefit your kids in various ways. It makes them more open to conversations and helps nurture parent-child bonding as well.

So today, in this blog post, we will shed light on the various reasons why you must consider changing your communication approach with your kids by replacing questions with statements.

• Empowers with Confidence

When parents constantly engage their kids through a loop of questions, children focus more on giving the ‘right’ answer. In some cases, children can also become anxious if too many questions are thrown at them. But when parents start including more statements in their conversations, kids feel more confident.

For example, when parents start saying, ‘I believe in your innate talent and abilities, so you will choose the right career path,’ instead of asking, ‘What will you become when you grow up,’ kids start feeling encouraged, and their self-confidence starts building. Such statements make children believe that their opinions, ideas, and thoughts matter and they are capable of achieving great things in life.

• Improves Comprehension and Learning

We at Sapphire International School promote statements over questions, as the former positively impacts a child’s learning and comprehension abilities. Statements convey information while removing ambiguity and aiding increased memory retention. It helps children absorb the presented information clearly and concisely, aiding their comprehension and learning skills.

For example, instead of asking, ‘Do you remember yesterday’s conversation,’ tell your kids, ‘Yesterday, we talked about…..’ The latter refreshes the kid’s memory, making it easier to initiate quality conversations.

• Reduces Anxiety and Pressure

It is normal for kids to feel overwhelmed when faced with too many questions. They feel pressured to give the ‘right’ answers for every question, which can often spike their anxiety levels.

If you, as a parent, want to eliminate the fear of getting judged from your child’s mind and want them to talk more openly and hold deeper conversations with you, try replacing questions with statements in your conversations with them.

For instance, instead of asking, ‘Why did you score lesser in this subject?’ try saying, ‘I know this subject is challenging, but you can improve with more practice and guidance.’ Statements like these make kids feel reassured, alleviate their anxiety, and foster a growth mindset.

• Improves Active Listening Skills

The biggest problem with anchoring communication around questions is that it makes children passive listeners. They start listening to questions, simply waiting for their turn to respond. In the process, they lose their ability to ‘be present’ at the moment and understand the questions being asked. But when parents start replacing questions with statements, children feel encouraged to become active listeners.

Since statements make it easier to comprehend and absorb information, kids find it easier to cultivate better listening skills. So, next time you want to talk to your kids about their day, don’t ask them questions like ‘How was your day at school?’ or ‘What did you learn today?’ Instead, use statements like ‘Let me tell you about my day at work today.’ This statement will act as a prompt, tempting your kids to willingly share their day with you.

• Develops Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

We at Sapphire International School, one of the best cbse school in noida, have always focused on the holistic development and growth of our students. It is why we actively encourage parents to adopt practices that not just aid the kids in their academic growth but rather their overall development. Replacing questions with statements is one such practice that can help foster greater emotional intelligence and empathy in kids.

We firmly believe that when parents model healthy emotional awareness to their children by sharing their experiences or emotions through statements, it makes it easier for kids to understand their emotions and empathize with others. A simple example of this can be saying, ‘I felt sad and hurt when I saw someone hurting street animals.’ This statement expresses what you felt and enables kids to experience the same feeling without any coercion. As a result, their emotional intelligence starts getting better by the day.

Conclusion

Statements over questions is a transformative shift that can improve how you communicate with your kids. From making them feel more confident and good about themselves to getting rid of anxiety – this approach can generate plenty of benefits over a period. To initiate healthier and deeper conversations with your children, you must try practicing this communication approach. We believe this simple yet powerful change can help raise a generation of compassionate communicators, paving the way for a brighter future. We understand you may not see instant results, but with regular practice, the results will become apparent.