Episode 13-Healthy Communication in a blended family
Blended Family Podcast
English - February 09, 2015 08:00 - 17 minutes - 8.31 MB - ★★★★★ - 156 ratingsParenting Kids & Family Education Self-Improvement finance business success marketing entrepreneurship leadership health entrepreneur careeradvice Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Healthy communication is an essential part of any relationship, not only those in blended families. However, in the blended family, communication is key to success. It is important for all members of the family to communicate, not just the parents. I have three tips for healthy communication, which are
Communication is NOT Confrontation
Be open and honest
Listen
1. Communication is not confrontation. This means that when you communicate, it does not need to be a fight, but rather a discussion back and forth. It is important to bring down those defensive walls and allow the space for calm talking.
2. Be open and honest. This seems simple. We need to tell the truth, to ourselves, and our partners. Hiding one’s true feelings only builds anger and resentment. We need to be able to tell the people we love what is on our mind so we can resolve any issues. When it comes to the children, it is also important to keep the lines of communication open. This will become especially important as they enter into the teenage years.
3. Listen. Instead of thinking of the next thing you want to say, you must actually listen to the person as they are speaking to you. This seems obvious, but so many of us are not fully paying attention in our daily conversations. This includes our children, who we often have a tendency to tune out sometimes.
Here are some other ideas to try to encourage healthy communication.
For a shy child who keeps their feelings to themselves, purchase a special notebook just for the two of you to share, where they can ask a question, or talk about their feelings.
Practice repeating back information you are given for effective communication. So when someone voices a complaint, you repeat back what they are saying so they know you are truly engaged with them.
Last, do not use the children as messengers to deliver information to an ex. This is unfair, confusing, and usually causes a problem. Communication with an ex should be done just with you and your ex, whether by speaking, email, or text.
You will find that your family will thrive when you can achieve healthy communication. It is something that you must continuously work on, but it is so worth it in the long run.
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