6 Reasons Why Your Child Isn’t Talking to You

It can be frustrating when your child stops talking. Sometimes, you only get a limited response when you try to hold a conversation.

So, what could be the reason behind the lack of communication? We’ve got six reasons why your child might not be talking, and helpful ideas to get them to open up.

1: Your child isn’t talking because… you’re not really listening

We all get busy. You’re trying to cook dinner, clean up, and pay bills simultaneously. And we’re all guilty of absently scrolling through our phones, listening to the radio, or trying to hold two conversations at once.

When your child can tell you’re not fully present in the conversation, they might stop talking because they don’t think you’re listening or even interested in what they’re saying.

What you can do

Realistically, you can’t always drop everything any time your child wants to talk, but you can show them you care by making times where your attention is completely on them.

It might be a five-minute cuddle on the sofa just before dinner, or when you walk home from school. Whenever the time is, give them your undivided attention. Put your phone away, remove any distractions, and focus completely on them.

If you’re struggling to communicate with your child, watch our free Support Talk video series called The Ask. It covers the who, what, where, why and when of communication, to help you have better conversations with your child.