The way you speak to your children, or even the things that are left unsaid, can bring them up or can shoot them down. Even when you’re tired, over-worked, under-appreciated and the washing is piling up; taking a deep breath and rephrasing what you are about to say to your children may just improve the day you are having. It will definitely make a difference to them.

Here are our top 10 Best Things To Say To Your Children:

I love you

Cannot be said enough

I can see you have worked very hard on that drawing, assignment (or the like).

Highlighting the effort rather than the result encourages children to focus on the process rather than the outcome.

I saw you trying very hard at your gymnastics, swimming, (or the like).

Encouraging your child to be proud of their own efforts rather than if they made the winner’s podium or not will help them understand that someone will always be better or worse at something than them. It makes the win even more special as they appreciate the effort that they put in themselves.

What do you think?

This encourages a conversation with your child. Allow them to open up their own thoughts to you and lay the path for the more difficult and trickier conversations to come.

Tell me more…

This little sneaky sentence will keep even the most reluctant child talking. As parents sometimes we get in the habit of doing all the talking and very little listening. It’s also a good way to find out stuff you might not have heard from another child.

How do you think this issue can be resolved?

As my children grow, I can only hope that I have guided them in the right direction to be able to resolve their own issues. Or at least know that they can have a go at solving the issue but I will be always here to help.