How to Speak or Interact with Children

Unsure about how to speak to youngins? Chelsea from Practical Poppins has a few tips to help you out!

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[KunoichiNrd]

I love her comments about how to compliment children. SO TRUE. On a related note, I've learned that a good note to start a conversation with a kid, like, seven and younger is their shoes. Works every time. :)

[SocraticaKids]

What wonderful advice. We'll never forget what it felt like when grownups didn't treat us as people with feelings and thoughts of our own. Great job, Chelsea! Your respect for children comes out strong and clear.

[frankm.]

As someone who's worked in childcare in various capacities, don't talk down to kids, regardless of age. It's incredibly offensive, demeaning, and they will respond to it exactly the way you'd respond if someone talked to you like that. Honestly I think Mr Rogers was one of the best exemplars of how to interact with kids, ie as people who are just smaller, a bit more vulnerable and who probably haven't had as much life experience as you.

[Neverseenstars]

I just dont know how some adults dont understand this. I remember childhood, and I hated when adults treated me as if I was stupid.

[ShadianVise]

I'm a parent, and interacting with children is exhausting to me. Everybody expects the physical exhaustion of early parenting, but I think people underestimate the mental exhaustion of trying to keep up with their energy once they're more independent. I don't know how they keep going, but I'm ready for a nap around 1PM.

[MrIx]

I am soo bad with kids. I bet if I told a kid:show me how fast you can run with those shoes, there would be an acident!

[caroline-pmmo]

i'm so bad with kids i just kinda stare at them until they leave me alone

[jenrobinson]

I didn't know how much I needed this XD I'm great with kids aged 1-3, but the older kids I'm super awkward around. I'm already an awkward and shy person, and then when talking to kids I don't have as much of a "script" to follow to ease my anxiety like I do with other people my age. This was helpful!

[SlyPearTree]

I'm Asperger and talking or interacting with children is the one social skill I feel I've been at least as good or better than my peers. I was a smart kid and hated being talked down to or not taken seriously, I do not remember every crying after hurting myself but I do remember crying when I felt peoples thought I was stupid, like when my mother told me Santa Claus did not exists she probably thought I cried because I was shocked or something, when in reality I did not like my own mother thinking I was an idiot.

[FlyKiwi]

This is why I've stayed in my severely underpaid job for so long. Yesterday I built a rocketship for dinosaurs, played Mario Kart, and had a discussion about why different balls are used for different games.
Working as a Play Specialist means I get to just hang out and be silly all day long.

[radicalraccoon]

I appreciate the advice. I'm someone who literally just doesn't know how to interact with young children - I try to avoid interacting with kids, because I just feel completely lost and I feel put on the spot when others introduce me to their kid(s) or the kid(s) want me to play with them.

I'm not sure how I ended up like this, but I have a lot of social anxiety and issues communicating with people in general, so maybe that plays some role in the challenges I face with kids?

Anyway, my older brother (20 years older than myself) is amazing with kids and always has been. I'm not sure how I ended so utterly lost. 😩

[albertamalachi]

Simple ice breaker I used to do is the good old, "Hello! How do you do fellow kids?"

Works everytime. ;p

[PoseidonXIII]

At work, I needed to get the attention of a 4-year-old girl that was running around in the store, and all I could think of to say to her was, "ma'am, um ma'am, excuse me ma'am." XD Which is a bit strange, but I felt too weird about calling her "sweetie" or something cutsie like that, cause it felt creepy and I also would not call her by that if she was an adult. Was there anything less dumb to call her?

[Bcklm]

I don't know why I was expecting something cliche and outdated, but those were really good tips.

[liv.zep]

never ever thought I would be watching this as a 14 year old. I'm constantly around little kids, but my anxiety makes it so awkward for me to communicate with their energetic needs and I just never know how to talk to them. especially depending on the age range. now even at age 14, I'm looking up stuff like "how to talk to little kids" "how to get along with little kids" or "how do you make conversations with little kids?"

[martinphilip]

I’m a guy with a degree in Early Childhood and a retired teacher of gifted. The best way to have a conversation with a tot is not to overwhelm them with attention at first. A few fun faces and smiles will draw them to you after the huge extended family has worn them out. My best tip to is use questions sparingly and avoid yes/no questions.

[Hxarh]

Kids have lots in common with adults. Talk about food, animals, superheroes, princeses. Make use of the timeless cartoons such as Spiderman, Scooby Doo, or the family features like Trolls, Inside out (what ever is in at the time {Frozen may be a touch too old by now but you can give it a shot}) As an adition to never talking down to children, you may want to lower your status in order to become true friends. Goofing around and doing slapstick such as " let me show you how I do a balerina piruette" folowed by something ridiculus which includes falling on your bum is great. To lower my status I like to tell 4 year olds and up "You're way older than me. I'm just 2, and still wear dipers." Now if you have to retain authority you should be careful not to take your status too low. This is important mostly if you're dealing with kids who have too much energy. Sometime kids like that will be naughty for fun. In that case the joke may turn on you if you try too stop them so don't. Instead join them in they're fun so you can turn it less dangerous. Like a bunch of nine year olds wanted to atack me with basket balls on a play ground the other day. I said I won't play along that way and showed them the little kids ball pit. "You can shower me with plastic balls all you like." I said, simultaniously throwing balls at them. Let them have they're fun and once 2 or 3 get bored, you can say you're bored too and be done.

[cupfulofeathers]

These were some great tips! I only see my young niece and nephew once or twice a year since they live far away, so I'm always looking for ways to interact with them better.

[reganstandlick]

love this. My own boss tries to point out how I talk on an adult level to certain children at my work, I'd love a video on how to talk to children who seem to be more frustrating or create that overstimulation for you, if they aren't comfortable with you but you are the only teacher at the moment. I've been trying to do better about getting down with them. I find I prefer working with toddlers or kindergarten or pre-k.

[christine]

I realized I didn't know how to interact with babies and really little kids until one of my best friends had baby and once he turned 1 and was walking around like a real little human, I was like 'wait, how am I supposed to talk to him?' His parents were like we just talk to him like another adult, which was good because that was my default guess. I still was surprised when I asked if he wanted help opening a granola bar and without looking up he said "no, I've got it." Kids really are smarter and more capable than we're lead to believe.