Strong families don’t just happen. A healthy family spends time together and talks together. Parents set aside time to spend with their children, whether it is for a family outing, bedtime chat or simply sitting down to have dinner together. Parents — with effort and commitment — create strong, healthy families.

As part of being a strong family, remember how much you are teaching your child when you talk with him. No matter his age, talk with him.

Talk when you are driving him someplace. Discuss signs, other drivers, trees, the weather and what he is doing in the back seat.

Talk to him when he is in the tub … the bubbles, shampoo and the toys he is playing with. Let him talk too, but keep your lessons going because they really teach and they can be fun at the same time.

By the age of 3, your remarkable toddler already has a vocabulary of 1,000 words or more. Remember, at age 1 he knew only a few words. Not only does he know these words, but he uses them to ask questions, sing songs, play games, thank you, tell you he is mad or happy, think about different things and even holler at his sibling. That is an amazing vocabulary for a 3-year-old.

As a parent, you need to become an expert on trucks, tools and bugs. You need to be able to talk with your child about the subjects she or he is interested in. Why are the clouds different from day to day? What makes the cake change when it is in the oven? What happens to the water when you let It go down the sink?

Your child will be kept busy teaching you with the many questions he thinks to ask.

When you talk a lot with your child in his earliest months, you help him develop his vocabulary and communication skills.

You are also teaching him about subjects you never thought you would think about. He learns, but you also learn.

Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and former executive director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which published newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents.