Importance of Healthy Communication

One of the key factors in keeping our children safe is having good communication with them.

My daughter is a few days over 1 year and as the days go by I can clearly understand some of her requests.

Putting a Lot of effort in Attempting to Talk

She is working on her pronunciation and learning new words. Thanks to one of my parenting mentors Rob Hatch, he  helped me understand part of the thought process babies go through when they are attempting new things like talking.

Mom Does a Better Job at Understanding her

Since mom spends a bit more time with Daniela she does a better job at identifying what she is trying to say. I do my best at interpreting most of her sounds that occasionaly turn into words.

Basic Needs Come First

Since Daniela is being breastfed she has been able to pronounce the word breast in Spanish. I guess the necessity of her getting breastfed has put that word as a priority in her vocabulary. Their are a few other words that she can pronounce like “cat” which she uses to identify all animals except for “dog” which she tries to pronounce JuanGa’s name.

Understanding Toddlers a lot easier than Teenagers

As a new dad I am enjoying every step and milestone she accomplishes. I know that as a baby misunderstandings can come from lack of words but in the future those misunderstandings can come from other factors. I guess it would be a waste of time for me to talk on the aspect of understanding teenagers but since it is important that all Parents especially those that are part of the Papa heroes Alliance can have good communication with their kids of any age.

The Clapper and the Listener video by Aaron Manley

Browsing Google + I found this video created by Aaron Manley from Motorphilia . I was introduced to him via my good friend Chris Brogan.

By coincidence Chris had shared the video on how people in general sometimes have miscommunications.

I recommend watching the video so you can easily understand the concept.


Can’t see the video click here…

I have to say that this exercise is one you can practice with kids and adults alike. The best point Aaron makes is  how people get frustrated because they are trying to understand you which may lead to even bigger frustrations.  I will keep this in my head so when my daughter is old enough to talk, I can teach her how she needs to facilitate the understanding of any message she wants to get across.

On behalf of the alliance I want to thank Papahero Aaron and his Sidekick Olivia for creating and sharing this thought provoking video.

Are there any practical and neat exercises like the one Aaron shared with us via YouTube that you do with your family?

Feel free to share comments and ideas in the comments area!

Communications at an Early Stage

As humans we all find ways of communicating body language, spoken language, signs, writing, or via electronic format.

As a new dad I am always trying to understand what my almost 9-month-old daughter is trying communicate. I do remember how in the movie “Meet the Fockers” the baby was taught sign language and he could express things by sending signs. I am not sure if I have the time to teach my daughter Daniela sign language or if at this point it is worth it but I have found that by paying close attention on most occasions I can guess with precision what she needs.

Guessing with a Checklist

It is really a guess because on some occasions the first option I choose those not really solve the problem or help her top crying but that is why I end up following a checklist in my head or with @lucymfel to make sure we don’t miss out on any steps.

Going over the list

On most occasions the list of steps we have stored in our heads can bring a quick result but in others we just have to attempt new things. Like for example the quick diaper check, checking for fever, giving her a meal or drink, making sure she is not sweating because she feels hot, touching to make sure she is not too cold, or giving her a frozen carrot to ease the pain of her gums teething. When we run through he checklist over and over again we eventually get to the result it has never failed us.

Paying Close Attention

A few months ago our friend @parachute did give me some great advice on paying extra attention to Daniela since at the stage she is at she will be learning new things. This has helped out greatly because my daughter is showing early signs of wanting to be independent. If you feed her she wants to feed herself. If you give her a cup she wants to drink from it on her own. If I try to give it to her it only makes her uncomfortable and ready to cry. By observing her we know that we have to give her a little bit of space so she can do things on her own.

By reading our children’s body language and later on listening to them we can learn a lot about there needs, which eventually can make us better parents.

What tips do you have to share on paying close attention and improving communication?