Do you ever wonder how effective your communication is with parents?
Parents, like all of us, live in a data heavy world. We constantly have messages coming our way.
It is easy for our communication with parents to get lost in the avalanche.
But effectively communicating with parents is crucial if you want to help them disciple their children.
Let's look at some methods and strategies to communicate with parents effectively.
Text messages
Text messages do get noticed - 95% of text messages get read - 93% within the first minute. Hard to beat that percentage.
There are several ways you can use text messages to communicate with parents.
Send a text message to new families after they visit for the first time. Keep it short and simple. Thanks for coming. Trust you had a great experience. Hope to see you again soon. Let us know how we can pray for your family.
Send a text message to parents about what their child learned at church. Include a couple of follow-up questions they can ask their child. I would send this out on Tuesday.
Send a text message about an upcoming event or program. It may have dropped off their radar. A quick reminder is helpful.
I know what you are thinking. Facebook is outdated. Actually when it comes to mothers, 94% of Millennial mothers use Facebook on a regular basis. Data shows that Facebook remains a leading social platform for mothers.
Create a Facebook page for the parents in your ministry. Post memory verses, parenting tips, lesson review questions, announcements, etc.
At the church where I serve as children's director, we send out a monthly email newsletter. We include lesson review questions, memory verse of the month, parenting tips, and upcoming teaching series information.
47-65% of young mothers (ages 18 to 39) use Instagram.
Create an Instagram account for your ministry. Regularly post pictures, updates, reviews, etc.
TikTok
Younger mothers show a high preference for TikTok compared to older mothers. Mothers use TikTok more frequently than fathers do. 42% of mothers active on TikTok are first-time mothers seeking peer advice and community.
Create short training videos and parenting tip videos to post on TikTok.
Young mothers use Pinterest extensively as a visual search engine and community hub for parenting ideas, inspiration, and peer connection.
Create an account and host active communities centered around early motherhood. Share practical child-rearing tips.
Old school take home papers
Take home papers can still be effective. The key is handing them to parents and encouraging them to use the tool during the week to help disciple their kiddos.
Make sure you hand them to the parents and not the children. If you hand them to the children, they will end up in the parking lot.
Your turn. What are some other effective ways to communicate with parents? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
