RE: A Person's A Person, No Matter How Small! -- Children Should be Seen AND Heard!
I totally agree with you that children should be allowed to communicate with adults. I was communicating with my kids (grownups today) since they could understand. No subject was taboo. But the information was given suitable for their age. We had a wonderful open relationship. Their friends always said we wish our parents was like your mom. Children should definitely be allowed to be in adult conversation except if the conversation is too much of adult content. In this case, children's attention can subtly be diverted to another activity, no need to ridicule them. But that said, children should not be allowed to be so disruptive that the adults cannot go on to have a conversation. If they converse in adult conversation then you as a parent should go to the trouble to explain and teach these little precious ones how a conversation work and that everybody gets a chance to speak and listen.
Right. I thought of mentioning that in the article, but I figured it was implied. By being a part of adult conversation the child will gently learn the rules that everybody is following. They won't be told that they need to be quite because they are just a child, but rather that everybody gets a turn and everybody has to be patient and wait until the other person is finished.
Of course, I would be forgiving if sometimes they just can't wait ... because I still get myself in a bit of trouble sometimes when I'm just bursting with new information to share that just popped in my head ... and it's SOO hard not to interrupt. I'm afraid that I will lose the moment.
So if it's hard for me as an adult, I know it would be hard for an excited child to have to wait a long time.
Hehe, yes, my hubby do the same thing. He sometimes interrupts while someone else is still speaking. You would not be rigid with a child. Thank you for your reply.