Tips for Teaching Kids Communication Skills by Don MacMannis PhD l Children and Communication l Communication Skills l Sibling Rivalry l Communication Skills for Children

A common challenge for kids today is communicating feelings in ways that help instead of hurt. Effective techniques can be learned, and then it’s just a matter of putting these tools into practice. Whether it’s anger, hurt, fear, sadness, or guilt, research tells us that feelings want to come out. Feelings held inside often result in withdrawal, anxiety, low self-esteem and a whole rash of psychosomatic problems such as headaches, tummy aches, and difficulty sleeping. On the other hand, feelings expressed in hurtful ways— put-downs, meltdowns, or acting out—create a whole host of other kinds of problems for kids.