Five fingers on the same palm aren’t the same, so remember the same would be with family members living under one roof. Mom and dad could have been living together for twenty-five years, but they still are individuals. You would be different in thoughts, actions and words from your siblings and their desires. Age gap, the generation gap and individualism, every aspect needs to be respected and honored. Fights break out among family members time and again, but that doesn’t mean that the end of a lineage is in the making. Sometimes all you have to do is; In this article, we’ll explore some of the common communication barriers that can arise in families and provide some tips and strategies for improving communication between family members and strengthening their bonds.

  • Sit.
  • Talk.
  • Observe.
  • Rekindle.
  • Respect.
  • Honor.
  • Trust.
  • Love.
  • Smile.
  • Hug.

Talk it Out:

Instead of washing dirty linen out in public, it’s best to sit with the family and talk things out. Don’t lash, rant or whine, just talk your mind out with a peaceful demure and ensure that you allow others to express their opinions too, sans interruptions from both ends.

Improving Communication Between Family Members:

When someone is talking, listen and allow them to complete. Don’t judge and don’t be harsh when solving matters or when you need to look for solutions. If there have been issues in the past to which no solutions ever came, let go of them. Maybe the learning for the whole family was done, and digging corpses from a grave wouldn’t be wise.

Family Get-Together:

Have a family get together and before the wine flows, sit and reminisce with each other about the days of the past. The happy days gone by sure bring back smiles, and many smiles make one forget and forgive the gravest of acts done back then.

Keep in Touch:

Keep in touch with family members, no matter where in the world you are, especially with your parents. They have stood the test of time, brought you up and made you an outstanding adult. You sure owe at least an hour each day to Skype, whats App or text message them, find out about their health, what they did during the day or how they feel. It would show them that you still care.

Surprise Lunch:

Have a surprise lunch gathering or dinner just for the family. Make it special, have everyone’s favorite dish on the table, or maybe invite them all to the potluck. While gorging on the best foods around, you would hear stories of the days gone by, and laugh them out. Tease and pull each other’s legs without crossing limits, have fun and capture those moments on camera. Make a video blog; share it if permitted on social media and social networking sites.

Family Vacation:

You could also have a family vacation too. Ask your parents, uncles and aunts, cousins and siblings and take your pets too. Enjoy a beach vacation or a trip to the hills, go on a spiritual journey or just laze around at a farmhouse. The more you spend time with one another, the more would you be appreciated it, and you would do the same for the ones who take time out to come and be together.

But is this all? There are also some proven ways to improve family communication. Take a look at the five ways and activities to improve family communication.

Make Situations to Talk:

It is important to foster a ground for communication or just talking about various things in the world. Promote a healthy space for talking about interesting things that are happening around you. Importantly, talk with your children. Pick up a casual talk with them and allow them to speak. You could do this even on the short way back from school.

Plan Picnics:

Choose a nice fun-filled spot. Picnics are good activities to start with. Join over water games or theme parks. Chat over the meals and ask them about the day. Listening is always a way to prove that they are important in a conversation. You can also choose a meal get-together. Plan out something like a potluck, that will let you bond and laugh at each other. It is okay to schedule appointments. Busy people tend to have appointments for everything, that includes family.

Style of Talking:

Make sure it is informal. Your style of talking has a lot of roles to play in the topics you choose. If you are looking to foster communication among family members, it will be ideal to use informal language. This way you will put the other person more at ease, and even the introverts in the family might open up.

The 80:20 Rule:

The rule is simple. Listen more and speak less. Listen intently. Let the others speak. If they know they are being listened to, they will always have the motivation to speak and will open up more. Effective communication among family members is achieved by listening more to each other.

Organize Events:

Organize events every month for any occasion. Activities like organizing will have more people speak and opine. Ties will be stronger, and when people make it to the event, you have created a good ground for the many to interact.

Family communication is an extreme necessity in the growing busy days of our lives. Our busy schedule and monotonous work life leave us with no scope of understanding our own children. When they receive lesser attention and care, most of their precious childhood is lost. Go on dates with your children and allow them to open up to you. Give them some of your time and make them feel special. The importance of communication in the family ensures you have a healthy bond and research has shown children perform better in school and other activities.

Family Comes First:

In the days of storm, if the family stands by one another, they would stand by every need faced. Family is important to honor and respect, money can be made at any time. Honor the close ones, who love you and care for you, they are your real diamonds, your assets. Indulge in small talk now and then; give someone at home a shoulder to cry on. Let them know that you are there, for time once gone wouldn’t come back.

They say blood is thicker than water. This seems true for many of us out there. Believe in effective and healthy communication. This is necessary for the both personal and professional development of your child and family members. There is nothing more precious than time, that you could gift anyone. Try that today and see the change you bring in.

  • ” Family is Not an Important Thing. It’s Everything – Michael j.fox “
  • ” It’s not how big the house is, It’s how happy the home is. “

They say blood is thicker than water, go ahead and prove that right!!

Sireesha

About Sireesha

Sireesha is a nutritionist and passionate content writer. She has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition, and Health. She helped to realize how diet and health go hand-in-hand. Her writings have now become very basic, precise, and holistic. Check out her profiles to know more.
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