The Importance Of The Answers You Give Your Child
Children are naturally curious. They are in the middle of discovering the world and, therefore, they frequently ask us questions ; some of the most curious. Sometimes we are busy or distracted and we use any excuse to get out of trouble. However, the answers you give your child are of great importance.
The information you provide him and the attitude with which you do so will help determine parts of his personality and self-esteem. Therefore, although we are sometimes tempted to offer a vague or ambiguous answer, we must be careful how we react to children’s questions.
Listen to their questions
It is true that in our day to day we have many obligations and little time to fulfill them. That’s why we tend to be in a hurry and can’t always afford a break to chat in depth with our children. However, it is important to convey to children that their questions are important, that their curiosity is valuable.
Perhaps when they ask us the question is not the right time, but it is recommended that we praise their initiative and return to the conversation later. When we have the necessary time, let’s sit down with the child and give him our full attention. As small a gesture as assessing, attending to, and giving importance to your questions will grow your positive self-image.
In this way, you will understand how positive it is to question how the world works and want to know more about it. You will begin to feel that you are a valuable and interesting person, since Mom and Dad take what you say very much into account.
The sincerity in the answers you give your child
When sharing information with children, it is important that it is true. It is evident that we have to adapt the message to his age and his cognitive abilities. However, it is preferable that our answer is sincere.
In this way, our children’s trust in us will be strengthened and we will be a model of honesty for them. They are more likely to feel capable of opening up to us if we have fostered a relationship of closeness and sincerity from the beginning.
Whether we are talking about general culture (for example, with the dreaded question: “where do children come from?” ), Or if we are referring to our own feelings ( “why are you crying, mom?” ), Choosing an answer honest is the best way.
It is more beneficial for the intellectual and emotional development of the child to receive an adapted version of the reproduction than to listen to the ancient story of the stork. In the same way, it will be more enriching for him to know that mother is crying because at this moment she feels sadness and it is a normal emotion, than to receive a reply: “nothing is happening to me” , which will leave him even more confused.
Along the same lines of sincerity, if we do not know the answer to any of the children’s questions, it is better to admit it naturally and propose to find the answer together. By doing so, we will be teaching you search tools, such as going to a dictionary or looking for a book that talks about it in the library.
Encourage your critical thinking
Whenever you can, try to offer answers to children that make them use their imagination and intellect. Sometimes it is more enriching to receive help to come up with the answer yourself, instead of getting the answer on a tray.
Invite him to express what he thinks about your questions, what he thinks the answers might be. Also ask what they think of what you have told them and encourage stimulating conversations between the two of you.
Take care of the answers you give your child
Asking is one of the resources that the child uses to gradually build the conception of the world that surrounds him. As parents, we are their main references, which is why it is so important to take care of the way we react and respond.
It is in our power to help develop in the child a strong self-esteem, transmit to him that he is intelligent, creative and capable. Likewise, with our answers we will lay the foundations of our bond, basing it on trust or disinterest. Finally, let our words be a guide, but let the infant himself experience, discover and find the information.
