Good communication with children is about:

encouraging them to talk to you so they can tell you what they’re feeling and thinking

being able to really listen and respond in a sensitive way to all kinds of things – not just nice things or good news, but also anger, embarrassment, sadness and fear

focusing on body language and tone as well as words so you can really understand what children are saying

taking into account what children of different ages can understand and how long they can pay attention in a conversation.