He. Will. Not. Talk. I've tried all the methods that google has given me. Nothing works. Does anyone have any method that works to get a kid to talk about what he is experiencing? I'm all ears!
Some families experience good results by having a time, like dinner time, or over board games, when everyone talks about their day. If each parent shares a daily story about the best thing that happened that day... and the worst thing that happened that day... and invites the child/ren to join in by asking what was the best thing in their day, and the worst thing in their day, they often will. From hearing parents speak about their day, including finding joy in simple things, and sharing challenges or dilemmas which may not yet be resolved, kids can become accustomed to normal ups and downs in life and seeking comfort, support, and counsel from their family. This may also help them learn vocabulary for different feelings so they can begin to express what they are experiencing in response to events in their day.
Sometimes a negative experience which deeply impacts a child's sense of self-esteem may go unshared... these may come out at bedtime... or after a long time of brooding. As one example, a teacher attempting to close the achievement gap by bringing down the performance of a top student once told a child that checking their work was "cheating" and gave the child an unwarranted sense of shame. Watch for any hypothetical questions a child may ask about discrepancies, as these may give clues as to what the child is processing: "If one teacher tells our class to check our work, and another teacher tells some kids to check to their work but tells other kids that checking their work is cheating, then who is right?"
All the best getting your child to open up!
