The spate of violent crimes all over the world is truly alarming. Even more disturbing is the fact that a lot of these crazed gun men wantonly shooting anyone that comes their way are juveniles. One of the things to which experts attribute such behavior is the lack of communication at home. These juvenile delinquents did not have the attention they needed from their parents and other family members. Even without the risk of raising a young criminal, the importance family communication cannot be underscored enough.
Enjoying an open family communication line does not happen overnight. Nor is it something that you can demand from your children. The bond of family communication starts when your children are young and develops as they grow. That does not mean that everything is hopeless if you miss your child’s younger years. You simply have to gradually work your way to your child’s “world.” The older your child is, the harder it becomes to start breaking down the barriers of communication. You simply have to work at cultivating a better relationship with your child such that trust and confidence is developed. When this happens, you and your child can freely communicate about anything and everything.
To keep your family communication lines open, do not forget a few basics. This includes not being confrontational and judgmental. Respect your child for his opinions. This will give you an idea about what beliefs he is starting to form. Then, you can carefully steer him towards the right direction by objectively discussing other ideas. Rather than imposing your own opposing views, it would be a good exercise to try to see things in different perspectives and discuss the pros and cons. Don’t make it sound like a classroom discussion or a court room debate. A casual tête-à-tête would be a more relaxed and open way to make your child understand your point.
Image Credit:
Ambro – Free Digital Photos. Net
