How can you get your kids to open up and talk with you? Most kids talk nonstop when they’re in preschool. In elementary school, many of them begin to clam up with their parents. But there are strategies to get your kids to talk with you, and the more they get used to it, the more natural it will become. 1. Notice the little conversation openersNotice the little conversation openers your kids offer, and drop everything to respond, at least once they’re past eight or so. It can be excruciating to tear yourself away from what you’re doing to focus on a child's question, but how you respond to his overture is crucial in building closeness. To him, it’s an indication of whether he can count on you to talk when he needs you. And much more important than any conversation you try to initiate, like when you try to get him to tell you what happened at school today.