When children speak their first words, the entire family rejoices. Sometimes, however, certain children tend towards silence at day care or at home, with no known reason, and everyone begins to describe them as a mute or silent child.
Should the parents worry about what’s happening? And how should we encourage children to express themselves?
First, in conjunction with the pediatrician, be sure that your child is content and happy, communicates with others, expresses what they want without words, and isn’t experiencing any psychological crisis.
If you’re not sure about this, you should take a close look at what sometimes makes them withdraw into silence as a different means of expressing their worry or whatever they’re going through.
If you’re sure there are no buried psychological motives or communication difficulties behind their new silence, we advise you to take the following steps:
Finally, know that asking simple questions is the most effective way to encourage speech, provided that the questions don’t feel like an interrogation and reflect your interest in what they say and what’s going on in their little world.