3 Steps To Take If You Want To Improve Family Communication

Healthy communication is essential in any successful relationship – not just romantic ones. While you might not think about how communication issues can impact your family, they can create more problems than you realize. 

Maybe communication efforts haven’t changed in your family for years because everyone has gotten used to it. Maybe no one knows how to improve those efforts. But, a lack of healthy communication can cause discord, confusion, and strained relationships. 

The good news? It’s never too late to improve family communication. Whether you’re a parent, a grown child still struggling to have healthy conversations with your parents, or you want to foster a better connection with your family, let’s cover a few ways to improve communication and build stronger relationships. 

1. Make Time to Talk

There’s no denying that we’re living in a busy world. Technology causes us to move at a rapid pace. Schedules are more packed than ever. People in families have different responsibilities, obligations, appointments, and interests. 

While having a busy schedule isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can cause communication within the family unit to suffer. You might feel like you communicate with your family regularly, but is it just small talk while you’re heading out the door? Or, do you chat with each other while you’re all distracted by phones, computers, or televisions? 

One of the best things you can do to improve family communication is to make more time for it. Yes, life is busy, but there’s a good chance that everyone within the family can spare some time each week to dedicate solely to family communication. Even if that means having dinner together a few times a week with no electronics, or going for a family walk on weekend mornings. 

Having dedicated, scheduled time will put everyone in the right frame of mind. It will also help to eliminate distractions, and show every family member that what they have to say really matters. 

2. Be an Active Listener

Being a better communicator isn’t just about talking. In fact, some might argue that the listening aspect of communication is even more important. 

Everyone deserves to be heard and understood, especially if there are some lingering underlying issues within your family. 

Choose to be an active listener when anyone in your family is sharing something. That means more than just hearing what they have to say. Make eye contact, don’t interrupt, and pay attention to non-verbal communication, too. Ask questions, and repeat statements if you need clarification. 

When someone feels like you’re truly listening to what they have to say, they’re more likely to open up, and they’ll also likely become an active listener, in return. 

3. Calmly Communicate

If you feel like there are some communication issues within your family, don’t wait until you’re frustrated, hurt, or angry to bring them up. No matter what you need to discuss, it’s important to communicate calmly. 

Ideally, you’ll talk about things before they become bigger issues than they need to be. But, if you’re already in a place of frustration, say that. Let your family know that you need some time and space to calm down and organize your thoughts so you can communicate clearly. 

That simple step can make a big difference in what you say later, and can de-escalate a negative situation quickly. When you’re willing to step back and speak calmly, other family members are likely to do the same. 

There are many other steps you can take to improve family communication, but consider these to help you get started. In doing so, you can build stronger relationships with the people close to you, and potentially break generational cycles that were stuck thanks to years of poor communication efforts. 

If you are struggling to communicate in your relationship, don’t hesitate to reach out to us to learn more about family therapy.