Bonding as a family is really important, as it allows each of your family members to get to know each other better, and be completely comfortable in each other’s company. However, you may find that you are struggling to get to know your children if your family doesn’t always practice good communication skills. Sometimes people are unsure of the best way to express themselves, or may not feel like their opinions are valued enough to speak up at all, and so it is vital to break down these barriers and enable everyone in your family to develop the skills communicate better with one another. If you are looking for a way to improve your family’s communication skills, then here are a few simple tips which you might find useful.
Promote listening skills
Often in a family dynamic, there are some members of the family who are more extroverted than others, and this can lead to some people feeling unable to express themselves as freely; which is why it is important to promote listening skills amongst your family. Make sure to teach your children not to talk over one another, and to respect other people’s opinions and give opportunities for other people to speak. Games such as Telephone or Charades are really good for teaching communication skills, as children have to watch and listen to one another, and communicate information, both verbally and non-verbally.
It is also important for you to practice good communication skills yourself, as your children will learn from your behavior. For example, if you ask one of your children a question, leave enough time for them to develop a response, rather than just continuing to talk if they don’t answer straight away, as some children take longer than others to process their thoughts and generate a response.
Spend time socializing together
While just sitting down at the end of the day and watching TV together can be a nice way to spend time in the company of your family, too much time utilizing technology can be really bad for the development of communication skills. Try doing activities together when you can find the time, such as team sports, playing board games or reading to the children in the evening. If you want to get out and do something together, then another idea for a fun family activity would be to go to the Escape Room STL, as these problem-solving activities are really good for developing communication skills and promoting teamwork values in your children.
Create an equal respect policy
Sometimes children won’t openly communicate because they are worried that their feelings or opinions will not be validated by the rest of the family. It is important to teach your children that everyone’s opinions are valid, and find a balance between treating them as a child, while still practicing mutual respect. For example, if you are reprimanding one of your children, try getting down to their level and explaining to them why their behavior has been unacceptable, as sometimes children act out because they want your attention and want to feel valued. Keeping your authority as an adult doesn’t necessarily have to mean talking down to your children, as this can be detrimental to their self-esteem.
