Homebuilders – Healthy lines of communication

A parent-child relationship can be a very complex thing, fluctuating between good places and occasionally more challenging ones. Becoming a parent can often lead to reflecting on the relationships we had with our own parents when growing up. While there is, of course, no one size fits all method to getting it right, healthy communication will go a long way to creating a healthy relationship. It better equips us to navigate the tough times when they inevitably come around, whether it be in the form of bullying, relationship dynamics, parents separating, health issues, vaping, smoking, drug use, device misuse, or poor mental health.

Communicating with sullen, moody teenagers has been a minefield for generations, which for this generation of parents has only been complicated by the digital revolution. But there are some key communication techniques you can implement to give yourself a fighting chance of being a go-to person in your child’s life.

Pay attention to how your child communicates: This will help you to understand how to best communicate with them. Some children will chat about anything, while others are more reserved. Either way, they need to know that they can come to you about anything. If they don’t speak so much, spending quiet time with them can help encourage them to open up when they need to.
Try to avoid lectures: There will often be moments when you really want to get your point across, especially if it’s for their wellbeing, and for that you need their attention. Lecturing and nagging will likely prove unsuccessful. Try to identify when you have hit a brick wall and revisit it at a better time. Thinking about what you really want to say and keeping it concise and to the point will help prevent them from zoning out.

Listen up: When they do choose to speak you have to be engaged, giving your full attention. Show a genuine interest in what they have to say. Active listening is a skill. Eye contact, phone down, thoughtful responses. Maybe later on bring up parts of the conversation to show you were listening. This will demonstrate to your child you are engaged and interested in what they have to say. Showing this level of engagement will give you the opportunity to pick up on other cues in their behaviour which may indicate how they are truly feeling.

Find time to talk every day: With busy days, time often feels like something we don’t have much of, but we don’t need big blocks of time set aside to talk. Try to take advantage of trivial, small moments such as the school run, mealtimes or just before bed. A few minutes can make a big difference improving parent-child communication.