How to Better Communicate with our Family

Communicating with children or parents is not always an easy task but there are some basic premises that can guide you on the path of effective dialogue in your home. This article gives you some essential keys to discover how to better communicate with your family and make each day a much more enjoyable experience.

1. Be a good listener

Being a good listener is one of the basic premises of communication. However, it is not about pretending to hear our mother or what our young son is saying, it is about really paying attention. So when they talk to you, stop what you are doing and listen

2. Do not interrupt anyone

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Do not interrupt what your family member says to you in the middle of a sentence or thinking in your head what you are about to answer. The conversation should seek understanding and and not the automatic response constantly.

3. Do not take anyone for granted

A good way to listen, understand, and communicate with your family is to not take anything for granted or judge the speaker. Listen to what he has to say without prejudice

4. Be observant

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In any communication process, it is necessary to try to generate empathy which is the ability to put yourself in the other’s shoes. For this reason, to communicate better, you must not only listen but also understand and observe the gestures that your family member makes when he speaks to you, sometimes they reveal much more what he feels than the words themselves.

5. Always be available

If you want your parents or children to communicate better with you, your gestures and your availability for dialogue are fundamental. Be close, open, loving, make physical contact with them and also learn to dialogue about your opinions, thoughts and emotions. Leading by example is always the best way to get what we want

6. Show real interest

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Forget mechanical responses, these work for some everyday issues but not if you intend to establish better or deeper communication. So when you talk, show real interest and ask questions that reveal it.

7. Be understanding

Understanding our parents, children or relatives it is essential to improve our communication with them, so do not forget to be open and understanding in a dialogue and if necessary deepen it so that the other opens up with you and can communicate in a better way.

8. Don’t be judgemental

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Remember that your kids or parents don’t always talk to you because they need advice, sometimes they just want to let off steam and be heard. Likewise, avoid constantly scolding them, making comparisons or making comments that make them feel bad, especially if it’s your children.