Members of strong families are good at listening and enjoy talking with one another. They may not agree on every topic, but they are interested in each others’ thoughts and they keep an open mind because they respect and love each other. Communication flows easily and they genuinely enjoy each others’ company.
One of the best ways to encourage family communication if your family could improve in this area is to eat more meals together. If you aren’t eating any meals together right now, try devoting two meals a week to sitting at the table, all together. We’re looking for improvement, not perfection. Not sure what to talk about? A few ground rules: no criticisms, no discussions of mistakes/punishments, no negativity. Positive communication includes humor, interesting stories from the day, the latest news events, community activities… and if you’re drawing a blank keep a few conversation starters at hand: a joke book, a list of moral dilemmas, a Would You Rather set of questions, What would you do if __________ (you won the lottery; you could move anywhere in the world; you could invite anyone to dinner who would it be?, etc.)
When parents and kids are comfortable with each other, important issues arise. Kids bring their questions up in conversation and trust that they will get honest answers and not be judged. They get their information from the sources they trust most. I think we’d all agree that we hope that source is us, not the internet and peers.
If you find communication in your family to be a struggle, consider seeking advice. Positive communication techniques are essential to good relationships throughout life. Having these skills will improve quality of life for every member of the family, and will serve our children well in their future relationships. Ask Ms. Mia can help, feel free to private message. No matter where we’re at with our communication skills, we can improve.