Neuro Linguistic Programming, known as NLP in short, has applications in many areas of our lives, including Academic Excellence, Business Leadership, Career Enhancement, Development of Mental Health, Emotions & Relationship, Family & Parenting as well as Goal Achievement. In Parenting, NLP can be used in several aspects, including parenting communication, managing states or emotions and managing behaviours.  Today, we would like to share with you about parenting communication.

Parenting Communication is one of the most important parts of being an effective parent for several reasons. Child psychologists explain that children at their younger ages go through 'imprint period', where their experiences during the period shape the person they become when they grow up. Hence, the content and approaches in parenting communication, and in fact any communication in front of the child during the imprint period, fill both the conscious and the unconscious mind of the child. Put it simply, what parents say is likely to form at least part of who their children become when they grow up.

Secondly, building a loving and supportive relationship with a child is fundamental to a child's proper development. Through such good relationship, only can a parent build trust, nurture good mindset and behaviours, as well as support a child to overcome challenges in life. Rather than just concepts and knowledge, NLP offers specific techniques that parents can use immediately in their parenting communications with their children.

It is not the intention for us to explain all the available techniques as that would take at least 2 full days to start with but we can offer you some basic understanding and examples. NLP has techniques that teach us to utilize not only the words we use, but also body language and tone of voice to communicate effectively. NLP techniques allow us to understand ourselves and others, presenting us an effective way to communicate for our intended purposes. NLP techniques equip us with the ability not only to communicate with the conscious mind but also the unconscious mind.

The specific NLP techniques include, but not limited to, how to connect with your child, how to understand what's going on in your child's mind, whether or not verbalized or not verbalized, using more than one of your senses to understand your child and techniques to influence your child through your communications.

Parenting communication is part and parcel of being a parent, whether you are aware of it or not. I hope that, from now on, at least parents will start to be mindful of both verbal and non-verbal communications in front of your precious.