It is every parent’s wish that their children grow up healthy and happy. Children also need parental love, but sometimes love alone is not enough. If you want to raise your children to be truly nurturing and insightful, parents need to communicate with their children in a positive or motivating way, and to demonstrate physical care for the next generation. Positive interactions play an important role in the growth and development of children. Children are always observing and imitating their parents’ actions and behaviors, so it is important that parents do not neglect the power of their role models as their children. Parents must also create a family atmosphere that promotes effective communication, emphasizes two-way interaction rather than expressing instructions, and knows how to encourage and motivate rather than just blindly praise. Such a family environment is the beginning of positive parent-child communication. It is especially important that your children feel the love and needs from you on a consistent basis, as this makes it easier for them to grow up healthy and confident. Parents who know how to soothe their children and make the home a warm and safe haven are the foundation of positive communication. Don’t be shy about showing your children your unconditional love in words and actions: tell them how grateful you are for their presence and companionship, and don’t mind saying “I love you” more often than you should – it’s a phrase children can never hear enough. Physical contact can also bring parents and children closer together, and studies have even shown that it is good for your child’s health. Try hugging your child more often, and I’m sure you and your child will both experience that indescribable warmth and attachment. Please communicate calmly with your child and keep “please” and “thank you” on your lips so that your child feels respected and treated with courtesy. Shaping a positive home environment also requires parents to keep negative energy out of the house and not deal with intense family conflicts in front of their children. Keeping the home free of anger and wanton bickering allows children to better manage their emotions and develop empathy. If children feel overwhelmed when they enter a home, they are bound to become nervous and emotionally distant from their family. They may also become anxious, depressed, have low self-esteem and even misbehave. The goal of a positive home environment is to banish these negative energies from the child’s life. The way parents communicate is also an important factor in creating positive interactions. Through communication, children learn to think more deeply, perceive and express their emotions. Not only that, but children who are good at self-expression are better at recalling and summarizing childhood memories. New research proves that children with early memories grow up sorting through those memories, learning from past experiences, guiding their behavior, and facilitating good relationships and more informed choices. The study shows that parents play an important role in this process: some parents have a “repetitive” conversational style with their children, asking questions that can only be answered with “yes” or “no” rather than freely expanding the conversation. Some parents have a more “heartfelt” style of dialogue, asking open-ended questions or asking their children to tell stories that allow them to recall vivid details of their early years and improve their problem-solving skills. Parents use this mindful approach to encourage self-expression-asking detailed, open-ended questions and encouraging children to tell stories, reminisce, and describe daily routines. Get involved in your child’s daily activities, get them to talk about what they are doing and thinking, and encourage them to express themselves by asking how they are feeling in different situations. Avoid questions that can only be answered with “yes” or “no” and instead use “what” type questions such as “What happened? ” “What are your thoughts on this?” A better approach is to ask “how” and “why” questions, such as “How did that happen?” “Why did you say that?” A direct “tell” approach can prompt a more complete response – such as “Tell me more about that incident. Another way to have a conversation is to let children take the lead in various games or activities. Let them assign roles in a game, set the backdrop for a story, or decide what type of art they want to create. Letting your child take the lead will spark their imagination and lead to deeper communication as they naturally tell you the rules, story lines, and ideas. During your conversations, you can set small challenges for your child, introduce them to some new ideas, and ask them to explain the choices they have made. In your communication, you need to practice “in-person” interactions with your children: set aside time each day to listen to them with your full attention. I understand that parents sometimes don’t have time to eat after a long day at work, let alone listen to their child’s every word. However, children need each other’s undivided attention to feel truly listened to. Simple listening can work wonders with children. Parents should aim for the 3-7 rule: 70% listening, 30% talking. The “talking” part should revolve around asking questions or expanding the conversation with more affirmations: “Oh really? Tell me more.” “That’s great.” “I understand.” Finally, the way to build positive interactions between parents and children is to offer appropriate encouragement, not blind praise. While both encouragement and praise reflect affirmation of the child, however, parents should also have trade-offs. In addition, while it is important for adults to evaluate and affirm them, it is also important for children to learn self-affirmation – to build confidence in themselves. Excessive praise can make children dependent on adults’ affirmation, causing them to become mentally disturbed if they do not receive praise. Therefore, it is not advisable to praise blindly to avoid creating dependence on praise. Ask parents to save praise for important accomplishments, such as creating a spirited piece of artwork, tackling a difficult problem, or succeeding in a challenging project, to name a few. Encouragement is a better approach. Less about praise and more about meaningful motivation. Parents should encourage and evaluate the different components of an activity, large or small, completed or not, and make clear the skills that children use and learn as they complete the project. Rather than making a perfunctory evaluation of the whole thing. Here, I recommend that parents encourage their children as much as possible each and every day. When children are working on a drawing, you can describe in detail how beautiful the drawing is. Encourage them to complete their homework in a timely manner and as quickly as possible to motivate them to meet the challenge. Please note that there is a distinction between encouragement and praise in terms of language. Praise is often given by saying, “You’re great!” , or “You did a great job!” Such comments are simple and straightforward. To encourage your child, use more precise statements to describe what your child is doing and offer specific comments and suggestions. This will prompt them to think about what they are doing and how they can do it better. Lots of encouragement is brought together into truly meaningful praise that helps children build confidence in their own abilities. Positive interactions focus on building children’s confidence in their ability to strive for excellence and, as a result, build a positive self-image. Parents should set an example for their children and guide them in their words and actions. If parents are able to interact positively with their children, they will receive positive responses from their children and achieve effective communication.