7 Powerful Phrases for Talking with Toddlers

1. “Say it with different words.” Let’s face it, sweet little kids sometimes have trouble being understood. If I can’t figure out what they are saying, having them repeat it over and over is just frustrating for both of us. Getting them to use different words usually helps me crack the code.
2. “Let’s try again.” This can be in reference to your child trying a task again with your help, but I also use it after a conflict where we have all lost our tempers. It’s so powerful for kids to see parents owning their mistakes.
3. “How can I make you feel better?” I think this is incredibly important. Often we think a smile and a hug will solve everything in their little world, but that isn’t always the case. I also encourage my kids to say this after a disagreement (okay, after they get physical with each other, IT HAPPENS.) I always say it is polite to say “I’m sorry” but it doesn’t always help or make up for what happened. I suggest to the kids making silly faces, giving hugs, and resolving to be kinder next time as better ways to apologize.
4. “Please” and “Thank you.” It seems silly, but I sometimes need to remind myself to say these to my kids! I get so used to being the boss that I forget to use these words (and then get frustrated when they don’t use them!)
5. “Take a deep breath.” We use this in our house to help our kids stop in their moment of deep emotion. I prefer it to the more vague “calm down.”
6.  “You have 5 minutes until _______” My kids NEED this warning before bedtime, before we need to leave the house, when it’s almost time to leave the playground, basically many times a day to ease the transitions in our routine. I also like to remind them to pick one more thing to do so that they don’t beg for more time!
7. “I need some help.” “I don’t feel good.” “I’m sad/tired/cranky.” That’s right, these are phrases parents should say! Obviously, we should not burden our children with our troubles, but young children aren’t skilled at detecting emotions yet. Showing them yours is a great way to teach them to be empathetic (you’ll probably even get extra snuggles out of it!)

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I hope these suggestions help you to communicate with your little one!