The value of communication
Our life is impossible without communication. This is one of the main principles for functioning of any type of society. Each family, being a cell of society can also exist due to communication among its members. Communication in a family consists in family relations and interaction between spouses, between parents and children, between relatives, etc. it also comprises exchange of information and spiritual contact. Communication in a family may have many forms, such as conversations about work, household, health, friends, discussion of many issues, connected with upbringing, art, politics, etc.
The level of satisfaction in communication within a family depends on compatibility of views and values of family members. It goes without saying that nervousness, unbalanced state, reticence and other negative features of character don't favour normal communication. When family relationships are normal, spouses usually talk to each other and discuss their problems and find moral and psychological support.
However, ideal family relations happen very seldom and conflicts, quarrels and arguments often occur. In such situations in order to reach mutual understanding, spouses must learn to sympathize with each other and take each other's opinions into consideration. Moral principles are very important for communication in the family. Spouses often try to vent their frustration on each other after a hard working day. They often resort to reproaches, remarks, shouting, etc. Such type of relaxation may bring an interim relief but may lead to dire consequences in future. These consequences include offences, remorse and can even lead to destruction of a family.
It is always useful to transact and to split the difference. The ability to admit one's mistakes is also very important here, as each person has a right to make mistakes.
Unfriendly family relations lead to negative consequences. There is a close interdependence between family conflicts and nervous breakdowns. Lack of mutual understanding leads to depression, alienation, worsening of psychological and physiological state of a person and reduction of his/her productive efficiency.
Communication is very important not only for grown-ups, but for children as well. It is one of the most significant factors, which affects the formation of child's personality. The need in communication appears from birth and accompanies a person all his/her life.
Communication between parents and their children is necessary for their full-fledged development. Children, who lack communication with their parents, are characterised by difficulties of communication with their peers, inability to control their behaviour, etc.
In the majority of families children lack communication with their fathers, because they usually talk to them rarely and these talks last not more than 5-10 minutes per day. There are families where things are even worse: children don't talk to their parents at all. This situation is usually caused by the fact that there is no trust relationship in such families. In this case it is parents' fault. If they don't trust each other, they can't demand trust from their children. In such families, relationships are usually built by means of orders, subordination and humiliation. It has a negative impact on the children's ability to communicate with other people.
That is why parents are responsible for their children's ability for communication; they must form their children's communicative habits. Besides, moral and psychological welfare of the whole family depends on the ability of spouses to communicate with each other.