Informal Interpersonal Communication

Angelica Punla Professor Bhattacharya COM 125-128 16 February 2009 Interpersonal Communications We almost constantly hear parents complaining about their child not listening to them, that their kids are being stubborn and will not talkto them. There are masses of books or websites dedicated to helping parents find ways to communicate better with their children. However, it is not just the children who had to listen, it the parents too. Communication is a two way street. My cousin, Austin, was visiting us from Hawaii. He is really healthy and usuallyexercises three times a week, but was neglecting it while he was with us. However, he decided that on that coming Friday at eight o’clock in the morning, he was going to the gym. My sisters decided to go with him since we rarely exercise. I, however,declined. I was scheduled to work late the night before and anything before ten o’clock in the morning was too early for me. To compensate, I decided I would bike around my housing area for an hour. I had a low self-esteem when it came to my parents. As stated in Reflect & Relate, a low self-esteem affects your communication with others. When you have a high self-esteem, you communicate easier, and people are more prone to listen. When you have a low self-esteem, it is the opposite. It is harder to communicate, and people are less inclined to listen to you. It was only when I was confident in myself that I was finally able rationally talk to my dad. I was not the only one at fault though. According to Barb Hacker in her article_ Parenting and Listening Skills_, listening is extremely important to communication for a parent and their child but is often overlooked. My dad believed in his children listening to him and not the other way around. Communication is the key to finding a solution to our problem. “Effective, open communication takes a lot of hard work and practice. Parents should remember that they will not be perfect. Parents make mistakes. What is important

Cited: Leo, Pam. Connection Parenting: Parenting through Connection instead of Coercion, Through Love instead of Fear. Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, Inc 2005 McCornack, Steven. Reflect & Relate. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007 “Relational View of Communication”. The Interpersonal Web at Northern Virginia Community College. 19 January 2005 http://novaonline.nv.cc.va.us/eli/spd110td/interper/process/rela tionalview.html