The Art of Talking with Children

Children need quality conversations with their parents – and often don’t get them.

In the midst of busy careers and the flurry of activity that family life entails, many parents find little time to engage in deep and meaningful conversations with their children. Discussions with children often center on logistical details and minutiae, such as homework and sports schedules, and parents tend to fixate on short-term goals. But when parents make time for deeper conversations, they can create lasting bonds with their children and lay the foundations for their children’s long-term success and lifelong learning. 

Children today suffer high levels of worry and stress, and they demonstrate greater fragility, perfectionism and feelings of isolation than did previous generations. Nearly one-third of today’s children suffer from an anxiety disorder by the time they’re teenagers. Many immerse themselves in hypercompetitive digital chatter, which fuels toxic self-criticism.

Parents should show children they’re worth listening to and help them feel understood by encouraging them to express themselves fully. Children who have quality conversations...