Relationships are built on open and honest communication. When that key factor is missing, it is hard to create a healthy bond with your child. Making it crucial to ask your children questions that encourage them to open up to you about their thoughts and feelings.
Your son or daughter are going to go through a lot of changes as he or she grows up. With that comes certain challenges, but there is nothing more rewarding than parenthood. If you are feeling discouraged with the current relationship you have with one or all of your children, you are not alone! In fact, communication is one of the most common family therapy issues for which many parents seek help. With the right tools and resources on your side, you can make an honest effort towards creating a healthy, long-lasting bond with each child in your family.
Encouraging Conversation with Your Child
A lot of parents try to open a dialogue with their child by asking about his or her school day. If you just ask how their day went, you might get a one-word answer. To encourage your child to share more details, try to get specific with your questions. The following are a few ways you can ask about their day without asking the generic question, “so how was school today?”:
- What made you laugh today?
- Who do you like to sit by in class? Why?
- Tell me about something you learned today.
- What do you think you should do less of at school?
- What was your favorite part about recess?
If you would like to gather some more ideas for encouraging conversation, you can search the internet for a long list of questions to ask your kids. You can also work with your partner to brainstorm questions that focus on your child’s specific interests or characteristics you are trying to instill in your child. For example, you could ask if they did something kind for another student or if they helped hold the door open for another person.
Seeking Outside Help
You can show up to the dinner table with an armory of questions in an attempt to get your child to open up about their day, but sometimes that is not enough. In these cases, many families find it beneficial to seek outside help through therapy. If you are wondering, “what is family therapy and how does it help,” you have come to the right place. Simply put, it is a specialized type of counseling that focuses on issues involving family function. At a typical family therapy session, a therapist treats the family as a whole while helping each member develop their own healthy coping mechanisms for an overall stable home environment.
To find out more about how family counseling in Little Rock, AR could help you and your family, do not hesitate to reach out to the Arkansas Relationship Counseling Center. Feel free to contact us at your convenience to set up a free, no-obligation consultation. You can fill out our online form or call us at (501) 222-3463.
