A Guide to Know How Preschoolers Communicate

Preschoolers are only just learning to connect and communicate with people and situations around them. It is at this point that they begin to understand the cause and effect of communication. They are also able to express ideas and feelings. They learn negation and assertion. Understanding how preschoolers communicate helps build better parent-child relationships.

Preschoolers use words and body language when they start connecting and communicating with people around them. As a parent or caregiver, this is an important phase for you. Understanding how preschoolers communicate will help you to foster and build a strong relationship with your children. This is an interesting phase for your children. One in which they begin to refine their understanding and express themselves. With a little love, attention and understanding you can connect with them better.

What to Expect Between the Ages 2-3

Children around 2-3 years of age learn to understand and use more complex sentences. This is the time when they are just beginning to think logically and interpret things. They are also able to understand a sequence of events. However, they are not able to understand all words, nor are they able to grasp abstract concepts. For instance, when they see your smile they understand you are happy. But when you are lying down if you are exhausted, they might think you want to sleep. This is because at this stage they think and interpret things literally. They might not understand exhaustion as a cause for lying down.

What to Expect Between the Ages 3-5

As children grow, they understand the cause and effect better. They learn to connect the links of simple occurrences and acts to communicate results and responses. For instance, children between the ages of 3-5 will know that “if you have medicine you will feel better”.

1. Imitation

Preschoolers often mimic comments and phrases, even complex sentences and exclamations that they hear. They tend to relate events in movies or stories and at times might misuse or exaggerate things. For instance, the result of listening to a fairy tale might manifest in play when your child tells a doll “the big bad witch is coming to get you”.

2. Using specific words

Preschoolers learn to use specific words or phrases to express ideas and feelings. It is now that they learn to realize the power of words. “Don’t pick up a knife, it is dangerous” or “I am scared to go out alone” are some examples.
The most commonly used words at this point will be “no” and “why”. Preschoolers use “no” to claim their space and “why” to understand the world around them and to question authority.

3. Learning decision-making

Preschoolers like to take decisions or participate in decision-making. “I want cereal for breakfast” or “I want a bicycle” are statements of assertion. They also represent a foray into decision-making. It is more of a discovery of being in the driving seat on a journey called life.

4. Repeating words

Preschoolers like repetition. In fact, when they ask you to tell a story again, it’s more about a need for reinforcement. Don’t let it irritate you. Hearing the same story again and again is their way of feeling safe and secure. It might make them feel good to hear happy endings. Repetition of stories also helps them to imagine new situations.

Preschoolers like to make up their own explanations. When they see rain, they might interpret it as the sky is crying. They are likely to indulge in wishful thinking. All this constitutes important milestones in connecting and communicating. Therefore, patience, love and understanding from parents and caregivers at this stage is critical and necessary.