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Family communication is a tool of interpersonal communication. It is seen as the way in which family members exchange information between one another. It can play a major role in the behavior of children.

Communication is defined as expressing exchanged information to the next person by means of understood verbal or non verbal actions. It is connected to everyday life. Communication within a family is a way to master the strengths and weaknesses in that family's relationship. It is a way to keep the relationships healthy.

Communication Styles

 * 1) Instrumental Communication is defined as the way in which intended meaning is expressed with communicating . It can also be referred to as clear and direct communication. It is an objective to be completed. Instrumental communication is a verbal form of communication. It is how family member express that a specific function will get completed.
 * 2) Clear and indirect communication is defined as having an understood message, but it does not state who the message is intended for. This is a poor way to communicate. Being indirect leaves the message out in the open.
 * 3) Masked and direct communication is referred to as having an unclear meaning of a message, but it is addressed to the correct person/audience. This is a poor way to communicate for it can also cause confusion.
 * 4) Masked and indirect communication is defined as the message and person to whom it is meant for being unclear. This is the least effective skill of communication. The vagueness leads to confusion.
 * 5) Affective Communication is referred to as the emotional aspects of communicating . It is a nonverbal form of communicating. A family member expresses their feelings towards one another or a situation through affective communication.

Family Types
Researchers J. M. McLeod and S. H Chaffee conducted a study in search of different family types. They created the different types based on such family norms. The two define communication norms as certain behaviors that stem from a family’s environment. Studies found that most families share the same communication norms.

From their research, the family types were listed as pluralistic, protective, consensual, and laissez-faire.


 * Pluralistic: Families labeled as pluralistic are said to focus more on the relationship between the child and their problems/issues. They rely on talking things out to resolve complications.
 * Protective: Families labeled as protective focus more on patience, trust, and “obedience” between the child and the parents.
 * Consensual: Families labeled as consensual focus more on the child and parent relationship being both open and obedient. They rely heavily on conversation and trust.
 * Laissez-faire: Families labeled as laissez-faire are said to have no known active communication norms. This means that there is low communication between the child and parent.

Effective Communication
Communication skills within a family is strong enough to make or break the relationships. Maintaining effective communication skills is important. Effective communication thrives off of trust and understanding. It is what builds and restores relationships. It is the anchor for a healthy relationship. Understanding the family member is key to effective communication. You won’t completely gain knowledge or build trust if you do not understand. Talking to one another is important within a family.

Effective Communication Suggestions
Tips for maintaining healthy family relationships have been highlighted by the writers of Everyday Health:
 * Find the time to talk. Most families are busy with daily life routines such as school and work. They are also accompanied by extra curricular activities such as sports and music lessons. The only time to truly converse about things that are happening may come during the car ride to and fro. If that is the case, use that time. If not, eliminate a few activities that take up all of that time.
 * Spend time together outside of home. One on one time with each family member keeps a healthy balance within the relationships. It is a reminder that even with busy schedules, they are still important.
 * Listen more than you speak. A healthy family relationship comes from simply listening. This is important especially with bad situations. Listen before you start a rant. Think about what you say before you say it.
 * Be honest. Honesty is one of the main foundations of trust. Relationships will not function correctly if there is no trust. It is the gateway for family members being willing to open up and express themselves.

Pay attention to nonverbal actions. Nonverbal communication is defined as communication through sending and receiving wordless cues. A person’s facial expressions or body movements can give off an emotional signal about someone/a situation.

Poor Communication
Lack of communication within a family is what is considered poor communication. Poor communication can stem from changes that occur throughout life. Such changes come from situations such as parental divorces, finance, change of location, death, etc. These changes are seen to affect younger children more than the elder. The parents are affected as well. This causes a change in behavior that can be noticed around others in the workplace and at school.

Lack of communication can lead to conflict. Conflict is a result of common misunderstanding. Misunderstanding comes from not being aware of how a person is feeling due to lack of communication. We build assumptions based off of what we do not know. Assumptions can lead to negative endings.

Ways to Fix Poor Communication
Tips for avoiding and/or resolving poor communication issues have been proposed by writers of Livestrong :


 * Family counseling. Counseling is said to be one of the most effective ways to resolve interpersonal issues. It aids in improving communication.
 * Exhibit changed behavior. Children are exposed to certain communication rituals from those around them that they adapt to it. It is suggested that adults (parents) show their children how to agree to disagree in a supportive manner. They then learn to communication in the correct way within their own relationships.
 * Talking things out. It is common for family members to avoid their problems by “brushing them under the rug”. That often times leads to making situations worse. Having conversations about such issues is a frequent method.