It’s easy to spend time with your family and not talk at all. Many parents and kids often are attached to cell phones and iPods and, although just a few feet from each other, never exchange a word. Research suggests, however, that just talking about school can have a significant impact on your child’s achievement.

Remember that kids learn in homes that learn, from parents who value learning. Sit down with your kids and talk about what they have learned in school and what they plan to achieve. Be familiar with school policies and stay informed about your child’s progress. Don’t wait for teachers to contact you; take the initiative. Families who stay informed about their children’s progress at school have higher-achieving children.

Talking with your children is one of the most critical steps of healthy parenting. Young children begin their life fascinated by language and communication. To the small child, a mother’s or father’s words are important, comforting, and soothing. Use this to your advantage. Start intimate communication early on about everything and you have a greater chance of continuing this communication into the teen years.

Here are 10 simple rules you can use to open the lines of communication with your children, getting them to listen and to tell you more.

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Technology is a wonderful tool for communicating and information sharing, but like all tools children learn to use, parents must provide supervision and set limits to ensure their children have a safe and rewarding experience. Cyberbullying is a relatively new danger, and one that can have lasting consequences. Here are some tips for internet safety and preventing cyberbullying.

Know your technology. If you allow your children to carry cell phones, have a MySpace or Facebook page, or work with other technology, learn how to use them yourself. Your children can be your teachers in showing you what they are doing online. Take an interest in your children’s online world just as you would any other aspect of their lives.

Set reasonable limits. Help your children learn to make responsible decisions about using technology by establishing guidelines and exerting control when necessary. Investigate all the features of the technology they use. Cell phones with internet access should have the same guidelines and safety measures as those for household computers. Obtain information on parental controls for all the technology your children use.

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