Five Tips We Learned from our #TalkEarly Team for the Back-to-School Season

Our #TalkEarly Team was full of creative and fresh advice for this year’s back-to-school season. Talking with your kids about important topics early helps set the stage for them to come to you later with their questions.

Here are five of the biggest takeaways from our team’s posts:

1. Talk Early and Talk Often

If you want your kids to open up about important topics, it’s best to start early and keep the conversation flowing. Casey taught us that parents have to earn their children’s trust by fostering an environment of honesty. If you start having conversations with your kids at a young age, they’ll be more apt to come to you as they get older.

2. Ask Questions

The how’s and why’s might be in the range of typical questions parents get from their kids but parents can ask back. Dedicating space to asking questions and having conversations as part of a daily routine, as Anna Luther showed us, is critical to let kids know you’re present. Jen Mann asks her kids open ended questions that allow for the conversation to continue moving.

3. Don’t Wait for the Perfect Setting

The team taught us that every child is different. Thus, the way we communicate with them must reflect their personality. Christine Koh got her fellow bloggers together and made a video about creative ways to communicate with kids. Using social apps, having a weekly coffee date and leaving notes were some of the tactics mentioned. We also learned that minivans not only transport, but they also serve as a great spot to get chatting. As Laura Fuentes showed us, parents spend a lot of time in the car driving their kids from one activity to the other. This is the perfect time to catch up, squeeze in a conversation and foster that line of communication.

4. Listen

Kids grow up fast, that’s why it’s important to appreciate the little moments. Taking advantage of the walks and rides home from school is essential. Whit Honea took us through his after school routine and how his seemingly small conversations help build a bond that will help have more comfortable ‘big topic’ chats in the future. Jessica Shyba gave us an inside scoop of the different personalities is her household and how she strives to spend one on one time with each. Dedicated listening time is important for both, kids and parents. Jill Krause taught us to be there to listen to the small stuff so they will come with the big stuff in the future.

5. Look out for Opportunities

As kids climb up the grade ladder, they’re exposed to things beyond what they see at home. Movies, music, news and other types of media are a great way to keep in touch with your child. Julie Miner showed us how to use the media as an opportunity to start a conversation about a bigger topic.

Veronica joined the Responsibility.org team as a Communications Manager in the Spring of 2016. She received her B.A. in Communications from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazon in San Juan, and her M.A. in Strategic Public Relations from the University of Southern California.