My Parents Won’t Let Me....
Have you ever looked at Bebo, MySpace or Yahoo forums for youngsters? They are full of troubled teens and messages such as:
- My parents don’t get me!
- They won't let me have an ipod.
- I hate homework!!!
Call it the Generation Gap, call it a perfectly normal domestic power struggle, call it what you will. But the fact is, arguments at home are neither pleasant nor constructive. They don’t help us raise our children and, in extreme cases, they may lead straight to the silent killer called stress.
What You Can Do
Part of your job description as a family is Communication. Unfortunately, however, the way you communicate depends on your Learning Style, which will be unique for every family member.
A Learning Style is the optimal way in which a person concentrates, learns new concepts and memorises information.
Consider how your spouse and children absorb information best.
If, for example, you are an auditory person, you will want to talk about any issues you may have. But stop, wait, think. Is your family as good at listening as you are at talking? If they are readers, though, you will be better off to send them an email... peculiar as it may sound!
If you tend to think sequentially, you will want to start at the beginning. If your family has holistic preferences, however, they will want you to skip the details and get to the point long before you’re ready. You will have a better chance of being understood if you give them an overview or the reason for the discussion in the first place.
(For the complete picture of all the elements that make up your Communication style, please see our LSA Pyramid.)
Is your family visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic? Do they think sequentially or holistically? Have a look here.
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