How best to speak with children by an artist

How you can best speak with children is to see them aligned with you, because no matter how naive they may be they will at some stage become adults and their formative early years will shape who they become, yes everything we say and do with them becomes part of their character development.

First and foremost, switch off your mobile phone and any gadgets, pay attention to them, they will be here on Earth long after we have all gone, they form another future too.

Basically we ensure that on a level that they understand, is to ask them a question, usually there are some opening lines which bring forth their best self because of course, you are taking an interest in them, yes that is all they ask of you, your attention. “So (name) how was your day?” “Hey how was class today?” “What have you enjoyed learning most?” anything about them.

The next stage is to always look at them, eye contact is essential and always listen, don’t be engaged in organising what you will say next, play with them like dance together or do an action because their learning development often happens with activity. And when they play, they learn, they are taking in so much information more than we could ever do now. Yes their brains have more brain cells than we have as adults! some people don’t realise how important sleep is, it is vital and even as adults it is essential for our wellbeing.

Be kind, it is very troubling to a child to have someone looking at their watch or clock on the wall, and give them hugs, yes being natural is vital. Something I love to do with children of all ages is to use positive affirmations “You are so clever” “You are a good girl/boy you don’t do things like that be nicer” just very positive alignment to what and how you want them to do more of or less of and how it makes you feel for example “I am so impressed that was great”.