How Can I Get My Child To Talk About The School Day?: Part I

According to "The Mom Book Goes To School", of students age 10 to 13, 75% say they would like to their parent more about schoolwork. Studies have show that when parents and child talk about school and school events, children perform better academically. According to Stacy DeBroff, below are some suggestions on how to get your child to talk about the school day:

1. Ask your child questions about school every day.

2. Listen to what your child is saying to you.

3. Start this practice early on to establish a routine.

4. Use active listening with your child to find out more about the day. Instead of jumping in with your opinions, stay silent for a few seconds to see it there will be more information. If there is more information respond with neutral comments or repeat what your child said to get more information.

5. Tell your child how you feel as well.

6. Tell your child about the goals and events of your day.

7. Ask questions that will get a conversation flowing. (Example: "Did anyone get in trouble with the teacher today?")

8. Try asking silly questions. (Example: "Did they serve zebra for lunch today?")

9. Make sure you don't use this time to encourage your child to spy on the teacher or other children. Don't confront the teacher on everything you hear, and only address something that truly concerns you. If the teacher or students feel your child is spying it could make life very uncomfortable for him/her. These conversations about school should be to keep you inform and aware of how your child is doing academically and socially.