Now that some of the barriers constructed by traditional roles have been torn down, parents are more likely to engage their children and one another in a meaningful and respectful dialogue. Children feel more free to openly share their thoughts, and to safely question or challenge their parents. In the past, the belief that children should be seen and not heard severely constricted children s opportunities to practice effective communication. They were told what and how to think, and how to relate. Today, with a higher value being placed on engaging children in a meaningful way, and with access to technology that allows communication with the world, our children and youth are learning how to think for themselves, and how to increase their understanding of the world.
Families are the stage on which such skills are practiced.
As children are exposed to concepts like empathic listening and lateral thinking, they will bring new talents to the resolving of family conflict. Much pain is caused in families not only by a lack of understanding of each other s views but also by conflicting ways of understanding and expressing communications. The communication process differs by generation, by gender, and by levels of experience. When families work to increase their understanding of different styles of communication, they reduce the debilitating judgment and criticism that is often predicated not on a difference of opinion, but on an incompatibility in communication styles. Such differences can be mitigated by a willingness to enter into the other person s world.