Talk to Your Kids

When you hear the word therapy you most likely think of sitting in an office with some sort of therapist. While sometimes this is accurate, therapy can be introduced in a number of other ways. Therapy is simply treatment that’s used to heal or reinforce something. The type of therapy I’m proposing is different from the traditional methods we usually see. 

Think for a second–when was the last time you and a family member or a trusted friend sat down and had a conversation about your genuine feelings? For some people this happens regularly; however, for others I’ve personally spoken to, they’ve never done this.

This is very concerning for me. Learning how to communicate your feelings in a healthy manner is an essential skill that everyone should be fluent in. 

This is why I’m proposing an idea that many may think is obvious: talk to your kids. Talk to your kids from an early age in a genuine manner that promotes healthy communication for their feelings. Talk to them, and maybe, more importantly, listen.

All too often today we see adults who don’t know how to communicate. This can end up becoming an issue when people who don’t know how to manage their emotions through communication seek other avenues for their feelings.

This is where I believe a lot of conflict originates from. These people were never taught how to communicate and they end up lashing out in other ways. This can be seen in politics where people push their ideas without considering other viewpoints. 

A lot of people would most likely struggle teaching their children healthy communication because they themselves were never taught to communicate. Fortunately this is a learnable skill for all ages. Everyone has the capacity to improve on their communication and I believe that this should be encouraged. 

While everyone can learn how to communicate better, childhood is the best time to do this. This can make sure that negative habits don’t have time to fester. Also children’s brains are still maturing and can take in information and healthy habits more easily.

I think everyone can relate to a time where they didn’t feel heard or maybe didn’t listen as well as they should have. I believe learning to communicate better won’t eliminate these situations, but limit their severity as well as make them happen less often. 

According to Betterhealth.gov communication in this manner can also help to manage “A child’s ability to manage stress“. Often, we assume our children will figure out how become a mentally healthy person, but some help along the way can save your child a lot of stress and confusion later on in life. 

So, once a week talk, to your family. Practice healthy communication within a comfortable environment with people you trust. It’ll give you skills you will need in order to be a healthy adult and form healthy relationships.