Out of the many areas that kids need to concentrate on, communication is one that is often overlooked. It has a major impact across the entire lifespan, yet both parents and schools rarely invest more than the bare minimum into it. Kids are simply expected to figure it out as they move through life, but that doesn’t work out for every child.
Just like how skills like discipline and time management are taught, so too should good communication skills. In this article, let’s find out how you, as a parent, can help boost your kid’s ability to master them.
Be a Model of Good Communication and Recognize Early Problems
If ever there was a skill that benefited from observational learning, it is communication. Unfortunately, this is where parents make the first mistake. They emphasize good communication habits, but in reality, their own actions send a different message. Kids easily notice these inconsistencies, especially when they don’t feel heard or understood.
For instance, about 77% of parents said their teen always gets the social and emotional support they need. However, only about 27.5% of teens said the same. Other findings showed that the number of teens who always or usually received social and emotional support was 58.5%.
What’s happening is that you may not always recognize when your child feels unsupported, even though you thought you were doing great. So, improving communication starts with being able to listen and hear your child’s side of things as well.
Parents can also benefit from understanding the wider factors at play that influence how children communicate and interact with others. These tend to include school environments, relationships among peers and non-parent adults, and emotional development.
For parents who feel interested in exploring those aspects professionally, Rockhurst University online degrees offer opportunities to study educational leadership. This can be particularly helpful if you ever hope to make a career switch into education after seeing your child struggle with communication skills development.
The fact that they can be done online is also a bonus since most parents lack the time to head back to college full-time.
Educate Them on the Impact Screen Time Has
Another aspect that gets in the way of the development of communication skills is screen time. Most people already know the other dangers of excess screen time, but the impact on communication tends to get glossed over.
According to research, children with language delays were exposed to screens more often. Their average daily screen time was about 0.4 hours higher, and nearly 31% exceeded 2 hours per day. This was significantly higher than the about 12% of children with typical language development.
Of course, with younger kids, you can’t really do much educating besides introducing limits. However, for older kids, it can be a good idea to start pointing out how it makes life harder for them. You won’t have much success limiting screen time with a 16-year-old, but you can point out how it lowers their chance of getting a date.
Likewise, show them how it can affect their chances of making it into their dream college or sports team. Communication plays a role in everything, and as a parent, it’s your job to highlight its use in their areas of interest.
Encourage Them To Try Different Forms of Communication
Your kids might argue that they are great at communication, and that might be true. However, it could also be that they have only developed one modality of it. The fact is that communication is multidimensional.
This is something that Kopp Weingarten, president of a college counselling firm, has also noted. She explains that the biggest thing she’s seen is the lack of communication skills and confidence in speaking to others among young people. She notes how sometimes, kids will be in the same room and still text instead of talk.
As a parent, you want to encourage your kids to grow and develop in multiple forms of communication. In other words, they should work on increasing their vocabulary, speaking verbally more often, and getting used to public speaking. Likewise, they should work on core skills like active listening, non-verbal communication, as well as assertive and problem-solving-focused communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should parents start teaching communication skills?
You can start from infancy through simple conversations, facial expressions, and responding to sounds. As children grow, introduce more complex skills like storytelling, active listening, and expressing emotions. The earlier these habits develop, the easier they become part of everyday interactions.
How can parents help shy children become better communicators?
Avoid forcing shy children into uncomfortable social situations. Instead, create low-pressure opportunities to interact, such as playing with familiar friends or ordering food themselves. Praise small efforts and give them time to become comfortable expressing their thoughts around others.
Can too much screen time affect a child’s communication skills?
Yes, particularly when screens replace conversations, playtime, and face-to-face interactions. Children need regular opportunities to practice speaking, listening, and reading social cues. Setting reasonable screen limits and encouraging shared activities can help create a healthier balance as they grow.
Key Numbers & Facts at a Glance
| Parents who said their teen always receives the social and emotional support they need | 77% |
| Teens who said they always receive the social and emotional support they need | 27.5% |
| Additional average daily screen time among children with language delays compared with children with typical language development | 0.4 hours |
| Children with language delays who exceeded 2 hours of daily screen time | 31% |
| Children with typical language development who exceeded 2 hours of daily screen time | 12% |
Essentially, helping your kids improve their communication is a core part of your responsibility as a parent. It’s what allows them to deal with the world where confidence in communication is king.
Just like other skills, this takes time. You cannot begin the process when they’re graduating from school and expect wonders before they join college. The process must begin early, ideally from childhood, when they can still be molded.