Nonverbal Communication with the Child

Non-verbal communication is a type of communication where a person uses gestures, emotions, and/or body language in an interaction between two people. It makes up a substantial part of our capability to communicate and is used to express oneself when words are not enough. A good example would be an infant crying, which could mean a lot of things like being hungry, uncomfortable, or simply wanting to be held. Similarly, adults do the same in their day-to-day life, using a mix of both verbal and non-verbal communication.

Through the years, studies have shown that we respond to thousands and a variety of non-verbal cues and behaviors, such as postures, facial expressions, gaze, gestures, and even the tone of our voices. Unknowingly to us, even our appearance and how to be wanted to be seen by others could be non-verbal details.

Their way of communicating could be a little complicated for the children as they could not yet fully express what they exactly want or what they feel. Mostly, they do it nonverbally, through touch, facial expressions, eye contact, and body language.

On the other hand, as parents/caregivers, we should promote positive non-verbal communication such as smiling and eye contact, which can improve the relationship with the child, which is a key to his/her development. Children learn non-verbal communication from watching their own non-verbal communication. It would also help them how to relate and get along with other people.

Non-verbal communication can be handy at times. For example, during a formal event and your child is not behaving well, you can use your facial expression and body language, such as shaking your head, to send a message. As for children with needs, communicating is tough for them to do.

Children with special needs often needed to be taught about non-verbal communication such as eye contact and body contact. Eye contact could be established in various ways, such as using an object or talking to the child eye to eye. However, these children can often listen better by not having eye contact. The same goes for body contact, some of them prefer expressions of warmth or approval. If this happens, do not force the child to do so and instead, adjust your communication that works best or what the child would like.

Let us understand how our children communicate and we must promote positive nonverbal communication. We must also respect what they are only capable of and never force what we want. In this way, we would be able to build relationships and create trust with the child.