December 2014
57
W
hether Therese Tee’s family is
browsing through a menu at a
restaurant or navigating their
way around a busy food court,
her children, aged six and three, are expected to
choose and order their own meals. “If they don’t
order, they don’t get their dinner,” says Therese.
Her goal is to teach her daughters the art of
speaking to adults – an essential life-skill that will
benefit children now and in the future, according
to experts.
Communication counts
“Effective communication skills – be it
spoken, written or non-verbal – are a vital
part of everyone’s skills set,” explains Patrick
Hurworth, high school principal at Hong Kong
International School. “Although, thankfully,
the old authoritarian power dynamic of adult
to child is not as stark as it was, adults still hold
huge influence over children. Children need to
be able to present themselves with confidence
and assertiveness, and be able to self-advocate, to
meet their day-to-day needs and prepare them for
their futures.”
In the short-term, children who are taught
to communicate effectively may be less likely to
up
Speak
Teaching your kids to
communicate effectively
with adults will benefit
them now and in the future,
writes
Angela Baura
.
