9 Ways to Encourage Conversation With Your Kids

Be kind. Treat your kids with the same sweetness you'd give a stranger you're trying to impress. Embrace difficult questions. It's OK to question. You did it, didn't you? Give your kids the same leeway. Let them vent. Let them worry. And don't give pat answers—instead, let them work through their questions on their own. Be available. Give your kids your focused attention. Look into their eyes and ask great questions. Limit electronics. It's hard to have conversations with a kid fully plugged into a device. Teach them that they're creative and innovative and don't need technology to beat boredom! Get outside. Remind your kids how fun it is to play outside ... and do it with them! Taking a hike together or even a game of hoops can give kids a pressure-free environment to verbalize their thoughts. Cry and cheer at the right times. When your child has a hard day, scoop her up and cry along with her. When she makes a great grade, jump up and down and celebrate! Let them be kids. Kids grow up so fast in this crazy culture. Keep them kids as long as you can by keeping their extracurricular activities manageable when they're younger, so they don't become little stressed-out adults at age 10. Read great books together. The most haven-producing thing I do as a mom is simply to read to my kids. Even listening to books on CD as a family works wonders to keep everyone connected! Belly laugh ... but not at each other. Joking and laughter equal fun, but be careful not to laugh at your kids' expense or allow them to laugh at others. Watch funny movies together. Tell jokes. A lighthearted family that doesn't take itself too seriously is an inviting place to talk ... even about serious stuff.