Communication

Communication is the way people share information or messages with each other. It's what you say and how you say it through words, tone of voice, rhythm of the language, song, gestures, hand signals, body posture, clothing choices, facial expressions, listening, play, dance, art, and even silence. Communication is what gives people a chance to express hopes, dreams, problems, ideas, opinions, and feelings.

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
• It's never too early to start talking to children. They need to hear language and words in order to learn the skills of communication.

• Young children learn to talk and communicate at individual times and at different rates.

•Typically babies may not understand all the words but they do tune in to the feelings and moods of the message.

•Children can understand more words than they can speak.

• A language explosion happens at ages two and three when vocabulary increases rapidly.

• By the time children are five years old, they can speak between 1,500 and 2,500 words.

• Many young children talk a lot because they enjoy practicing, and they have a limited ability to control the impulse to talk.

•Young children can think faster than they can talk and need more time than adults to get their message out.

•Communication is affected by: time of day, appearances, the place you are in, noise level, sights nearby, how you feel, being hungry, feeling tired, and how much time you have.

• Helping children learn to communicate and accept their feelings may lead to more positive behavior. Children who are frustrated by not being able to communicate will often whine, cry, throw tantrums, hit, or argue.

• Generally, communication in children is encouraged when: they are allowed to say what they think and ask about anything, adults listen to children, and don't talk or lecture at them too much; they are not forced to talk on demand; young children have a limited ability to immediately put thoughts into words; the television and radio are turned off, and the telephone or doorbell is not allowed to interrupt.

• Children are allowed to talk in their own time while they are doing something else, like playing or taking a walk.

• If children feel that they can talk to adults about anything, they may be more likely to report incidents of racism, prejudice, and abuse. If children feel that they will disappoint or anger parents by telling them something, they may decide to keep it to themselves.

• Physical violence typically starts with angry or frustrating communication. Expressing feelings with words leads to less fighting, hitting, shoving, and abuse. No matter how strong the emotions, people can communicate in non-violent, non-abusive ways.

• Being able to communicate in positive ways is something children will use and benefit from throughout their lives; it's never too early or too late to start learning communication skills.

Excerpted with permission from THE FIELD GUIDE TO PARENTING;. Copyright © 2000 Chandler House Press. All rights reserved.