How Can I Put It… Finding the Right Words to Talk with Children

Children grow up, learn about the world, and ask questions for which we, parents, don’t always know the answers. And sometimes it’s easier to explain how a submarine works than to talk about what friends are, where children come from, or how to say “no.” Екатерина Сигитова, a psychotherapist, a Doctor of Sciences, and a mom, collected all the topics that parents need to discuss with children: uncomfortable ones (sex, abuse, divorce, death), not-so-popular ones (inequality, personal relationships, wars), and obvious but difficult ones (safety on the internet, sports, eating behavior). Each topic has its own chapter. In the end, you get a parent-and-child “phrasebook” intended to help start conversations and convey important ideas and values, taking into account the child’s age and the specifics of how they perceive things.