If you're an adult who has no exposure to kids , like me, then it's certainly normal to feel awkward talking to one, according to Yamalis Diaz, PhD , a child psychologist at the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Health. Most people don't know what to talk about with kids, so they don't bother trying. "They probably at times underestimate how much kids actually can understand and engage in a reciprocal relationship," Dr. Diaz says. "They don’t attempt it, and it becomes an awkward or quiet interaction between them and a child."