Don't tell them to shut up!

My wish for you

Is that this life becomes all that you want it to

Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small

You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to

I hope you know somebody loves you

And wants the same things too

Yeah, this is my wish - My Wish - rascal Flatts

They are very vocal and the first to interrupt conversations. In speaking with adults, there are times their very tones and language used are beyond their years.

The minute the sound of the What'sApp message comes in, they have your phones and are already scanning through the messages.

Raising children in this new age can be quite a challenge and for many parents, they overlook these behaviours with the excuse that the child is precocious but are they really or just plain nosey?

Family and Religion turned to Mikhale Edwards, director of communications and public relations, National Parenting Commission for answers who said the nosey child that is usually the first to answer the door, or reads your message without permission, it may be caused by some level of anxiety.

"Parents are encouraged to address these anxieties while reassuring their children that if there's something important that they need to know, then they will be told," he said.

For a child who continually interrupts conversations or choose the minute adults are they are on the phone to have something to say, Edwards said the worst thing a parent can do is to tell the child to shut up.

"Regardless of how annoyed or unsettled you may feel because of the persistent questions from your child, it is never advisable to tell them to shut up. This type of response will only add to their anxiety, while over time leading to them feeling insecure. In worst case scenarios, they may even become afraid of asking questions that they are supposed to be asking at their age," he points out.

Stressing that a child's "nosey" way of doing things should never be overlooked by a parent, he said despite the liberal age that we live in, children should not be overly exposed to certain information.

"As you seek to curb the "nosey" personality of your child, it's important that appropriate boundaries are set. These may include, instructing them that they should knock and wait for a response before entering a closed door, as well as remain quiet when others are speaking and excuse themselves if they need to speak," shared Edwards.

Failure to address this level of children being 'up in your coffee' at all times by parents, he said in the long run can lead to the children causing the parents to be embarrassed and the source of irritating habits continuing unchecked.

"These may include listening to people's telephone conversations, snooping around on your computer or other technological gadgets, or even go as far as to eavesdrop on conversations from behind closed doors," he said.

Edwards who is strongly against embarrassing your child to get the point across suggested ways of reprimanding their behaviour. Embarrassing them, he said, may result in a once extroverted child becoming withdrawn and developing some level of resentment towards you.

"It is also important that as you seek to correct the "nosey" character traits within your child, that you agree on the appropriate punishment with your child for when they decide to break the rules," he said.

familyandreligion@gleanerjm.com