Does a dialogue with your child sometimes sound like a monologue? If you say, "What happened at school today?" does your child say, "Nothing!"? Since many kids clam up if they feel interrogated, it can help to have some opening gambits up your sleeve to get a discussion rolling in the car or at dinner. In the December 2006 issue of Highlights, BrainPlay (page 39) offers some questions you might explore with your child:
If you were going to make a book about the family, what would you call it?
What could buttons have been made of before plastic was invented?
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
You can continue the conversation by collaboratively brainstorming a new name for a color, deciding what chapters to include in the family book, or thinking up some alternatives to buttons. One way to encourage kids to share their ideas and feelings is by creating a true exchange. Offer your views and listen to theirs.