Importance of communicating with kids

My kids are still young. The eldest (girl) is 10 years old and my boy is only 6. As a mother I want to instill in them this early the importance of keeping the communication open between us. There might be lesser issues for now since they are only kids but keeping them sharing to me bits and pieces of information about the happenings and stories at this point will eventually pay off someday. As they grow older it will be habitual to them to share and talk to me about everything even the little ones.

I value the importance of communicating with my kids. It is not just to know what happened but making my kids feel important and know that my ears are always ready to listen about what they want to say, a shoulder to lean on and a friend to share with the laughter and tears.

I'm glad that at this point my kids are very open to me. Sometimes we get to laugh and cry on some happenings but infusing at the same time lessons that can be learned, if any. I remember my boy sharing with me how they apply a certain lesson of them in a game. How happy he was when their team won in the mini-contest and received a star from teacher. About my girl who is an incoming Grade 4 mostly the topics are about boys and crushes. I do understand the so modern attitudes of kids now when it comes to their opposite sex and that's one serious topic I always discuss with my daughter. For now the talking always goes well and enriching. We can lie down to bed to talk about things or sit in the sofa as we watch TV.

As a parent I am afraid for my kids to grow up keeping me unaware of what's happening to them or what they are going through. I want them to know and feel that there is someone they can always talk and turn to with at times of ups and downs, good and bad times and that is me.