
Making Time to Talk - Building Connections Through Talk in the Home
From The Early Years Together by Deborah Brown and Dr Jacqueline Young
March 15, 2026 · 13 min · Season 1 · Episode 8
About this episode
The episode discusses how everyday moments can enhance family communication and children's confidence while addressing screen time and emotional support strategies.
In this week's episode, Jacqueline and Deborah explore how the smallest moments in a family’s day can become the biggest opportunities for connection. From breakfast chats to bath‑time giggles, they share simple, practical ways to spark richer conversations, nurture curiosity, and build children’s confidence as communicators. They unpack the realities of screen time without the guilt, offering easy shifts that turn digital moments into shared learning. The episode also dives into supporting children through big emotions, with calming phrases, connection‑first strategies, and ideas for building emotional vocabulary. A warm, reassuring listen for any parent or carer wanting to make talking feel natural, joyful, and part of everyday life. Link to Google form to submit questions : https://forms.gle/BMDCvTGAEfjjoqTQ8 Episode Eight References: Bhutani, P. et al. (2024) ‘Is the screen time duration affecting children’s language development? - a scoping review’, Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health, 25, p. 101457. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2023.101457 Karani, N.F., Sher, J. and Mophosho, M. (2022) ‘The influence of screen time on children’s language development: A…
People in this episode
Hosts: Deborah Brown, Dr Jacqueline Young
Topics covered
- family communication
- screen time
- emotional vocabulary
- children's confidence
- parenting strategies
Keywords
- family connection
- communication
- screen time impact
- children's language development
- parenting tips
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC, National Literacy Trust
Books & works: Is the screen time duration affecting children’s language development? - a scoping review, The influence of screen time on children’s language development: A scoping review
More episodes of The Early Years Together
- Making Time to Talk - Your Questions on Supporting Children’s Communication · April 25, 2026 · 15 min
- Making Time to Talk - Supporting Language Delay · April 18, 2026 · 18 min
- Research Focus: Intersections Between Creative Thinking and Disadvantage · April 11, 2026 · 23 min
- Making Time to Talk - Supporting Multilingual Children in the Early Years · March 8, 2026 · 11 min
- Making Time to Talk - Why Being an Active Listener is Important · March 1, 2026 · 16 min
- Making Time to Talk - Language Theory and Early Communication · February 22, 2026 · 13 min
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