3 Things You Need to Talk About with Your Kids

As a parent you are talking to and with your kids all day long, but what are you talking about? Having a close bond with your children about the daily nuances of life is certainly important, but do you carve out specific time to discuss some of the tougher topics? Below are three things that you need to be sure to discuss with your kids throughout various stages of their lives. 

Finances

Teaching your children about the value of a dollar and the importance of financial literacy from a young age is not only important, but also something that will help make things easier for them once they are handling their own money. You can start this when your kids are young and institute practices like completing chores to earn an allowance, or even having them help budget for the weekly grocery run. As they get older, more serious financial topics like mortgages, funding an education, and circumstantial financial responsibilities, such as providing parents with financial support, can be discussed. 

Filial responsibility laws are something that will probably never come up naturally in conversation, you are going to have to create time and space for topics such as this to be discussed. You can review a guide that explains what filial responsibility laws are. Talking with your kids about when an adult child can be held responsible for providing their parents with financial support, especially if their parents are impoverished or indigent in advance of this happening gives everyone the benefit of being about to ask and answer questions without the emotional tension or pressure that a crisis can create. 

Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is something that starts when kids are quite young, this can even happen with siblings in innocent ways, but you need to make sure that you have an initial conversation with your children about how to combat this social dilemma and keep the conversation going. By taking steps to more effective child guidance techniques, like creating open lines of communication, you are also building trust and transparency. Topics that should be on the docket include, drugs and alcohol, respecting themselves and other people, sexual literacy, and confidence to say no. When your kids know in advance of a tricky situation that you are behind them it gives them the confidence they’ll need to stand up for themselves. It helps a great deal to spell it out in no uncertain terms that you are their biggest supporter and teaching them that no is a complete sentence. 

Their Fears

Even in the most casual of upbringings, some kids are reluctant to talk to their parents about what scares them, or things that might seem taboo. It is your job to broach this subject and show your kids that you are a safe space. Throughout their coming of age, they are going to always have associated fears. Common ones include separation anxiety on the first day of school, uncertainty surrounding changes with their bodies, all the way to questioning if they are marrying the right person or if having their own children is indeed their destiny. Ask them questions and then let their answers guide the conversation, you will both be grateful that these feelings are no longer bottled up or ignored.