COM10001: Effective Communication- Key Concepts Of Communication - Assessment Answer

Effective Communication Assignment

Assignment Task

Introduction

Effective Communication with Children and within Families

Communication is the fortress of healthy human relations. As social beings, humans have the need to connect with others. In order to render those connections successful, there ought to be effective communication, which enables a message to be passed across from the sender to receive and to have the desired effect. Society is made up of different heterogeneous groups which have varied needs. Effective communications calls for the recognition of this heterogeneity and to draft suitable messages that are audience and context-specific.

Effective Communication with Children

Children and young people represent a special time in the human cycle that calls for unique attention. Children are the principal social capital of every society that cares for a better today and bright future for its members. Children and young people are, nonetheless, not a uniform group. At the turn of the 21st century, children are being brought up in various social arrangements, encountering diverse challenges in their day to day lives (Study Guide Chapter 9). Some are lucky to be under the protection of caring families or guardians while others have had to put up with devastating situations and disasters that have subjected them to trauma, discrimination, abuse, and even unfathomable suffering. As a result of these traumatic events such as wars, such children have lagged behind in terms of social and cognitive development (Study Guide Chapter 9).

Children, like adults, have rights, including those dealing with communication. Kids have the right to be heard and their voice to be taken seriously. In addition, they are entitled to free speech and to access information, to uphold their privacy, as well as to develop cultural identity. A child has a right to take pride in his or her heritage and beliefs (Randle, Okely & Dolnicar, 2016). Effective communication should seek to respect the child’s privacy and dignity and bolster his or her self-esteem and confidence (Lefevre, 2014). If efforts are made towards providing children a 'voice', they ought to be more than a mere token that is a reflection of the adults' perspectives; rather, it should support kids’ all-round growth and problem-solving skills.

Effective communication with children calls for communicators not think of kids as little ones who are en route to becoming grownups but rather as full human beings in their own right. Children deserve to be wholly appreciated, in every phase of their development, as possessing unique needs and skills, and voices that need to be listened to respectfully and empathetically (Solomon & Theiss, 2012). For instance, it is inadequate to have children feature in TV or radio programs, posters or others forms of media so as to render the materials 'children-friendly'. Communication messages should be suited for the specific child audience and consider their needs, perspectives, as well as vantage points so that they relate to them effectively (Randle, Okely & Dolnicar, 2016).

In order to communicate with children effectively, it is critical for one to adopt styles and behavior that suit the kid's age (Petrie, 2011). The communicator must understand how children of different phases communicate and what they prefer to talk about. The adult should therefore communicate in a manner that matches the age and preferences of the child. For instance, infants from birth to one year normally use coos, gurgle, or grunt for communication (Lefevre, 2014). Since their verbal communication competencies are not yet fully developed, children make use of facial expressions, kinesics, eye movements, as well as cries to communicate different needs (Petrie, 2011). The adult is called upon to be recognizant of such signs and encourage the child's efforts at communication through various ways (Davies-Arai, 2015).

One way of encouraging the child to express themselves is through quick response to their communication (Solomon & Theiss, 2012). For instance, a crying baby should be comforted right away while the parent or adult should return a smile to a smiling kid. Moreover, communicators need to provide meaning to the infant's communicative methods. For instance, if the child cries in a particular way, the parent can know it is time of the bottle. It is also advisable to use sing-songs, a highly pitched tone, and exaggerated facial cues when interacting with the young infant. Such sorts of behavior capture the attention of the infant and aid them in keeping focused on the interaction process (Lefevre, 2014).

Toddlers aged between 18 months and two years use a variety of gestures, grunts, and one or two-word sentences to communicate. They may also make use of emotional expressions and body movement. Ultimately, for effective communication, it is advisable to respond swiftly and predictably to their communicative efforts. It is also necessary to expand on their vocabulary and build sentences based on their words (Solomon & Theiss, 2012). Toddlers should also be given one direction before any transition to another. Their emotions also need to be labeled such as sadness with falling. An effective communicator with a toddler should also capitalize on the daily routines and talk the child through the order in which they occur such as taking the toddler through the process of dressing up for sleep. When playing with the toddler, it also recommended to let them lead and create the play but instead describe what they are doing during the exercise. They should be control s much control as possible.

For preschoolers, it is important to let them talk about their past experiences and allow them to experiment with pretence and fantasy play. At this stage, children often talk to themselves during play and when working on tasks. Such signs should be recognized and encouraged by letting them talk about their feelings, be they negative or positive (Davies-Arai, 2015). For school-age children, it is critical to recognize that they spend more time talking and socializing with peers and friends. For communication with children at this stage to be effective with, it is recommended to keep up with their preferences, dislikes, helping them set their goals and provide solutions to problems (Lefevre, 2014). Moreover; when correcting behavior, it is important to prove a calm justification for the parent or care giver's preferences. Justifying the correction aids the child in comprehending the ramifications of their behaviors for other people.

Children find it easier to communicate with people who they feel they can trust and are safe with. To ensure there is no communication breakdown, communicators with children need to be outgoing, approachable and not difficult to talk to. They should not appear stuck up or too formal and ought to be able to get along with young people by understand their ways and thoughts. For children to consider a person as trustful, he or she should be able to keep promises, and above all be a good listener (Lefevre, 2014). A lot of communication around children also goes on without words. It is thus imperative to assess whether one’s nonverbal communication aiding the child in feeling comfortable.

Effective Communication within Families

Just like children, families are heterogeneous groups and have varied communication needs. More importantly, the face of families has changed drastically in the recent past. Today, adults are staying a bit longer before marrying while divorces have increased significantly (Floyd & Morman, 2013). These changes have had noticeable changes in family structure and consequently to the communication process within the process. For instance, today’s relatives have to adopt communication strategies for conversing and relating an increasing number of step families. Therefore, for effective interpersonal relationships in the family, it is imperative to communicate protection and affection. Given that protection and emotional support are fundamental human needs, communicators need to strengthen family ties by assuring people that one is there for them (Galvin, Braithwaite & Bylund, 2015). Adults who express more affection to other members experience low levels of stress. Expression of affection can thus strengthen relations as well as promote personal well-being.

Changes in family norms, coupled with economic and cultural variations, have affected the manner on which members communicate with each other. The changes have also created needs for families to manage their relationships. For instance the rise of dual earners in the family has altered the amount of times parents and children experience direct, physical contact. Economic strains have led to escalating family stress. The high divorce rate has also augmented the probability that all family members will experience major stress transitions, including variations in their communication patterns (Segrin & Flora, 2011).

The rise of the single-parent families and dual-earner couples has increased a child’s interpersonal contact with the extended family or professional caregivers (Floyd & Morman, 2013). Additionally, most children in stepfamilies function within two distinct family systems, each with its unique communication patterns. With all these changes, it is important for families to lay down some unwritten ground rules that ensure members relate with one another in a respectful manner. For instance, parents should not speak of their ex-spouses in a disrespectful way in front of their children since it undermines the kid’s self-esteem (Galvin, Braithwaite & Bylund, 2015). What is more, it may even put the child in a state where they feel they have to come to the defense of the ex-spouse.

In summing up, to aid families to communicate effectively, it is important to stress the importance of addressing the challenges of combining various members. Ultimately, members encounter a number of difficulties within blended families. Talking within the relatives concerning the challenges one faces can help bolster the family environment. Furthermore, when families come together, it is critical to clarify the role that stepparents should have with the children, techniques for resolving conflict, and the family traditions that ought to be preserved. Finally, by adopting the strengths of each family and discussing how to evade the weaknesses, the blended family can forge the basis for more effective communication.

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