Search Results for: blog communication breakdown it might be that you are too much alike

“Let me See if I’m Understanding You…”

Communication challenges are not the sole domain of the single parent, to be sure, but I know that developing strong bonds of communication has been a priority for me with my kids. Even though we are not always together (or because we are not always together) and as my children have gotten older, making sure that I am teaching them about good communication and developing my own skills has been important. One of the things I have learned (and it took several years) was how to clarify and show them that I am listening and hearing what they say without … Continue reading →

Maybe it’s Not What You’re Saying, But How You Say It

Have you ever noticed how two people can say virtually the same thing in content, and one of those people will be more persuasive, communicative and memorable while the other person just doesn’t make the same impression? As a parent, I have wondered how I can say something to my kids, but it is not until a grandparent, teacher, or friend says the same thing in a different way that they actually listen. I have a tendency to think that it is not the message I am delivering but the method in which I’m trying to get my point across. … Continue reading →

E-mailing Schedules

The other day, I got the most incredible e-mail. My eldest daughter sent me an e-mail listing the activities she’d scheduled for the coming week—including who she was going to be hanging out with, any money she might need, and other savory details. I have to tell you it was an organized mom’s dreams come true! I thought it was even better than having her tell me a half dozen times or put them on the kitchen calendar. Not only do I have the e-mail document, but I was able to jot things down into my datebook while I was … Continue reading →

They May Not Hear Anything After the First Sentence

The truth with parenting (as with other relationships, I think) is that communication can be major. So much so, in fact, that I think if we master some basic, important communication skills it can go a long way in helping us establish strong relationships and bonds with our children, and help us get through some pretty sticky parent-child situations. One thing that I have learned is that if I have something important to say I should say it simply and quickly. My kids might turn in for the first sentence, but then they are very likely to just tune me … Continue reading →

We Could Use a Good Troubleshooter

One of my favorite words that have evolved in the past ten years or so is the word “troubleshooter” or its counterpart verb “troubleshoot”—I am sure that it is somehow tied to technological advancements but it has been appropriated into just about every workplace and project that I know of. In my family life, however, I cannot help but think sometimes that what we really need is not a parent or a housekeeper, but a good, qualified, creative troubleshooter! The thing about being the parent is that I do tend to get in a rut—even my problem-solving skills that have … Continue reading →

Communication Breakdown? It Might Be That You are TOO MUCH Alike

Similarities with our kids can be wonderful—there is nothing like recognizing some of your most cherished personal qualities in your child and seeing how he or she takes after you. But, the thing is, they don’t just get our most cherished and best-liked personal qualities, sometimes they inherit or take on some of those things about ourselves which we aren’t too pleased with. This is where I think we can run into communication problems with our children. It isn’t always that we are so different we can’t see each other’s point of view, but sometimes, we are so much alike … Continue reading →