A typical kid's mind has the attention span of a housefly. Perhaps, this may be an injustice to the housefly.
It's an extreme sport holding on to a conversation with a five-year-old. A little like chasing a headless chicken darting around the courtyard - all seven heavens of unpredictability.
In five minutes, a 5-year-old talks a bit of Spiderman, a bit of chicken they had at granny's a week back, a bit of their favourite uncle's crazy antics...
In between, the parent has to sneak in timed queries of their day in school. This generational disconnect is a nightmare. Lots of parents tend to hold an adult's conversation with their kid which is off the kid's radar.
This is how to tweak your conversation to suit a kid's perception.
Do not ask: How was your day?
Ask: Can you tell me something that made you smile today?
You can learn a lot about your child's sense of humour, friends, and get them smiling by asking them to recount things that made them laugh.
Do not ask: Did you eat your lunch?
Ask: Who did you sit by at lunchtime?
Allowing your child to discuss their friends lets them tell if there's someone they don't get along well, without seeming to snitch. Also, kids will generally want to share their food with their friends - you'll get a very accurate picture of that moment.
Do not ask: Did you have a good day?
Ask: What did you do today at school that made someone smile?
This teaches your kid that school isn't just about academics. There's a bit about social connections, acts of kindness - touching the lives of other people. Did they help someone learn how to skip rope?
Do not ask: What did you learn at school?
Ask: Did you plant anything in a pot during Science? Did you fall over in the sack race?
When questions are broad, it's easy for a child to feel unsure of how to answer. Be more specific, it allows a child narrow down their thoughts - and opens a leeway to learn much more of their day.
A direct question about a sack race hits better than a 'How-was-PE?' question.
Do not ask: What did you do today?
Ask: What do you want to do with Teacher Ann tomorrow?
Kids want the fun stuff - and apt to want to keep doing them. Explains the candy and ice cream cravings. This structured query will open their mind's fun side.
There's not an exact Parenting 101 - this is just one side of a multi-faceted parenting prism. What are your thoughts?
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