Why Is Family Communication Important? – Being Parents

Family communication helps to create and maintain an emotional climate in the home. In addition, it helps its members to express their emotions, feelings and concerns in a healthy way.

Family communication is synonymous with well-being

Most conflicts and problems that arise between family members are likely the result of poor communication or, directly, a lack of communication. If the lines of communication are not properly kept open, family members will not have the confidence to speak up, while misunderstandings and disputes will arise relatively frequently.

A family that is successful in establishing quality, emotional communication at home will be able to resolve conflicts more effectively and less harmfully. In addition, interpersonal relationships will improve, as family members will feel supported and understood by each other.

However, establishing a favorable climate at home can become a complicated goal as each member of the family exhibits a different style of communication. Having said that, what’s the best way to communicate?

How do we communicate?

In order to achieve healthy communication at home, it is important to know the different styles that we can manifest when communicating. These communication styles are classified into three categories: assertive, passive and aggressive.

• Assertive style. Psychologist Carlos J. Van-der Hofstadt and economist José María Gómez understand that the person with this style of communication is able to express their feelings, ideas and opinions, to defend their rights and to respect those of others. In other words: the assertive person tries to express himself adequately and without aggressiveness, seeking negotiation.

• Passive style. According to Van-Der Hofstadt and Gomez, the main characteristic of this style is that the person cares about satisfying others. In other words, passive people do not stand up for their own rights if, in order to do so, they must ignore the rights of others. Their objective is to avoid possible conflicts. As a result, passive people often don’t get what they want, leading to frustration, blockages, insecurity, and even pent-up anger.
• Aggressive style. On the other side of the passive style, people with an aggressive communication style do not respect the rights, feelings and interests of others. That is, they only worry about standing up for their rights at all costs, and they find it difficult to change their minds and see the point of view of others.

In this context, knowing how to develop assertiveness skills for family communication is extremely beneficial. Some forms of assertive behavior would be knowing how to say “no”, accepting criticism if we think it is fair or confronting it if it is not, accepting praise and praise without expressing any criticism. false modesty, etc.

How to achieve good family communication?

Frequent conversations

Finding free time to spend time with your family is becoming more and more difficult. However, we should not view family time as “free time”, but rather appreciate it as a responsibility, making it part of our daily life.

For example, set aside a specific time of day to talk with your children, such as bedtime, a period of time to spend with family, or schedule family reunions.

Focus on your strengths as a family

Human development specialists Rick Peterson and Stephen Green say healthy, successful families periodically take stock of their strengths and weaknesses. In other words, it is about talking and reflecting within the family about what is right and wrong, in order to take action to improve the home environment.

Show interest in each member of the family

First of all, knowing how to listen attentively is essential, especially when we communicate with our family. It’s about doing everything possible to understand the other person’s point of view, to recognize it and respect it.

However, one of the keys to a healthy family environment is the concern we have for our loved ones. When you pay attention to the concerns and wants of your family members, you show them that you care about them, while also making them feel appreciated.

In summary, striving to communicate well within the family has many benefits, including building better interpersonal relationships, greater confidence in family members, increased self-esteem and family satisfaction, and better resolution of problems and conflicts.