This is a message I had shared with the parents of the YLP participants:
Effective communication is a skill we need to practice and live with. I would like to take this opportunity to request all parents to spend some time with the kids each day helping them develop their speaking skills within the comforts of your own home.
Try to give your child a topic each day - where the child is allowed to express freely his/her views, ideas, suggestions about the topic. An open discussion for as less as 5 to 10 minutes each day will go a long way in helping them emerge confident, with the ability to express their thoughts logically and confidently.
At the end of the day the parents are the best guide and mentor a child can have, if you disagree with their statements or viewpoint, do not criticise them or discourage them when they are speaking, let them speak their mind. On a later occasion, you could call them aside and discuss the topic in detail, and help them understand why you differ in your thoughts, based on your family values and religious viewpoints you want to instill in them.
Allowing the child to communicate freely with you, helps strengthen your bond, encourages the child to speak to you with no inhibitions, and an opportunity for you to guide them, rather than letting them look for advice and guidance elsewhere.
All it takes to make them effective communicators is a little bit of motivation, guidance and a few minutes of your time.
