Having positive and meaningful conversations with your child is essential so that you can build a strong connection through which your child will feel loved, heard and supported.

Following on from the Headmaster’s recent newsletters about having conversations with your child about global conflicts, navigating the digital world safely and developing a positive view of masculinity, this next series of newsletters will focus on ways to ensure you can have meaningful and effective conversations and connections with your child.

In this first newsletter on Conversations and Connections, I am reminding you of the importance of regularly making time for device and distraction free conversations and connections. There are so many ways you can do this, including:

• Playing games, including in the car like Twenty Questions and The Alphabet Game

• Baking and cooking together

• Having a thumb war!

• Sharing memories and looking through photos

• Sending your child an unexpected message, like a note in their lunchbox

• Plan trips or outings together

• Go for bike rides or walks, or other physical activities you enjoy doing together

• Have daily habits, such as sharing what you are grateful for each day and a highlight of each day

• Sitting around the dinner table, driving in the car and doing the dishes together are often really good opportunities to talk about your day or anything else that is happening at the time

I have no doubt that you can add many of your own ways to connect and make time for regular conversations. Prioritising time together with your child means that when you need to talk about significant and potentially challenging topics, you will be doing so on a strongly developed foundation of regular conversations and connections.

Image sourced from: kidspot (this article is a lovely story about all of the notes a father put in his children’s lunch boxes over the years)

Jenelle Hooson

Jenelle is a fully registered member with NZAC (New Zealand Association of Counsellors).

If you wish to discuss the services the School Counsellor can provide, please talk to your child’s homeroom teacher or make contact with Jenelle directly: jenelle.hooson@medbury.school.nz