Have Our Kids Lost the Art of Conversation?

Have our kids lost the art of conversation?! When I was a kid, we spent hours on the phone…talking. Now, our kids spend hours texting. And they aren’t even using real words, lol, pun intended. Their texts are filled with abbreviations that I don’t understand and endless emojis to express their feelings giving them a way out of expressing their feelings in words. Remember…words? I constantly find myself reminding my kids how to address adults (“Hello, Mrs. So and So, how are you?”) encouraging them to get beyond the one syllable, head-down, “hi” greeting. Will our kids survive an interview for college or a job?

So, I decided to ask an expert for some tips on how to teach my children to speak intelligently and confidently with adults…and with their peers. Kathryn Lancioni, founder of Presenting Perfection, not only teaches children ages 8-18 the art of conversation, she empowers them to confidentally use their voice in both the real and virtual worlds.

“Every time a child speaks to someone,” Kathryn explained, “they are presenting themselves in some way, shape, or form. Kids don’t realize how their friendships and reputation are influenced by the way they interact with others. I believe in teaching children the art of presenting so they can truly make the best impression in any situation.”

Here are Kathyrn’s 5 Tips to Teach Your Kids…How to Talk

1. When you meet someone of for the first time be sure to shake their hand and smile! A friendly smile is the bridge to a successful conversation.

2. Only share things about yourself that you are comfortable discussing–you don’t have to tell everyone everything about you!

3. Use your own stories as the basis for starting a conversation with someone. It will help you discover things you have in common!

4. If you get stuck in a conversation, ask the other person a question. People love to talk about themselves!

5. Remember to tell someone that you enjoyed meeting them–don’t just walk away after meeting them! It is important to end a conversation as elegantly as you started it!

For more Tips from Kathryn, check out her site, Presenting Perfection.
Presenting Perfection offers public speaking classes and
professional presentation classes to children,teens, and adults
providing the tools and techniques needed to deliver
the best possible presentation in any situation.

MORE FROM KATHYRN LANCIONI:
Kathryn’s Tips for Talking Around the Table