Unless and until you have open communication with your child, you cannot understand your child, know about what he is going through and with that, you can never help him. To improve communication with your child, follow these golden rules.

Listen to your child: Communication with your child will open up only if you are a good listener. Listen with interest, attention and patience. Don’t cut down the conversation, let him complete what he has to say.

Be empathetic: Show your child that you understand his point of view, respect his feelings, can feel his pain or joy. Reflect his feelings by saying ‘It seems that less marks have really upset you’ or ‘You are feeling bad for your friend, aren’t you?’.

Share your feelings: Your child will learn to express when he sees his parents share their thoughts with him. Tell him about your day, how you feel about the new project, your misunderstandings with collea-gues and so on.

Master the art of conversation: Don’t ask dead end questions that need answers in yes or no. Ask him questions that instigate him to elaborate on his thoughts. Don’t pester him to talk when he is not in a mood.

Base your relationship on love and trust: Your relationship with him should be such that he can
talk to you about anything he wants to, without fear. When he’ll feel this comfort and want to seek solace in your arms, he’ll tell you what has gone wrong and you’ll how you can mend it.