The function of communication in the family

Function of Communication in the Family

Communication is important because it determines how we form our relationships and how we learn to deal with one another. Communication can happen across the different races, cultures and ethnicities and it also occurs within the two genders. It can be verbal and non-verbal. One of the most important aspects of communication is that which happens within the family unit. The way in which parents communicate with children will most likely determine how their children will communicate with those outside of their family. There are internal and external forces that are shaped by various forms of communication within the family.

Schrodt et. al state that the communication skills children learn from their parents, if positive, will assist the child in developing positive social and communicative skills which will aid in forming positive relationships not only with family members but with other relationships as well. The exact opposite can be said for the child that is raised in a household where negative communication skills are practiced. Children growing up in this type of environment usually have trouble communicating with others outside of their homes and have difficulty forming healthy relationships (2009). This reinforces the fact that the internal and external factors involved in family communication are directly related.

Aside from the methods in which parents communicate with their children, other factors may come into play internally and have a certain amount of external influence in the way we learn to communicate. Television plays a large role in how we relate to one another. The amount of television watched by children as well as the different types of programs viewed must be monitored by parents. If not, some children will begin to associate the various ways in which television characters communicate as valid. Instead, parents should be willing to have open family discussions with their children to create a family that communicates well. Once children are grounded in the positive examples of communication that their parents have set before them, they will begin to learn to differentiate between what they see on television and what they experience in real life. This openness in family communication will help children and teens to use sound judgment when outside of the home (Krcnar and Vieira 2005).

Families should get into the practice of developing positive communication styles inside the home. This not only serves as a learning tool for children, but it also helps parents to learn how to adapt and adjust to various situations they may encounter in the workplace or any other setting outside of the home. When children see their parents follow the positive examples on how to communicate within the home and then behave and communicate in much the same way outside of the home, they are likely to pattern this behavior and learn to create positive environments and deal effectively with various situations.