Communicating and relating to children is an art. Children are people, but they are not adults. Talking to them and interviewing them should be purposeful and done with care.
Be Honest with Children You Interview
No matter what the purpose of the interview, spend some time in the beginning explaining in clear terms what the purpose of the interview is. You need to gain the child's trust and communicating openly and honestly with her will help you to do so. If the interview is confidential, let the child know and discuss what confidential means. For example, if you are performing a psychological interview, you must let the child know anything she tells you will remain confidential. The exceptions to this rule are if the child says that she is going to hurt herself, someone else or if someone has hurt her. Let her know who will see her responses and how the information will be used.
Get Down on Their Level
Talking to children can be difficult for you and intimidating for them. Do what you can to make the child feel comfortable. If you are talking to a smaller child, such as a toddler, come down to his level and sit on the floor or even kneel down. This eliminates the physical barriers that may cause him to withdraw. Also, use language that is familiar to him. You're not insulting his intelligence, you're showing that you care enough to communicate with him in a way that is meaningful. Developing a rapport with the child upfront will help him feel more at ease going into the interview. If appropriate, ask him if he would prefer to have a parent or guardian in the room with him.
Keep It Short
Some children have very short attention spans so you have to work quickly. Be prepared before going into the interview. It may take some time to develop a rapport but once you feel it's okay, get started with asking the questions. Tailoring the language you use should help to hold their attention but there are no guarantees. If there is an extensive amount of information to cover, plan ahead to offer little breaks along the way.
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