We rarely think about our communication with loved ones. However, family communication is very important and determines our relationships with each other, setting the tone for family life. Family communication is not simple. It has many parts. Communication is more than what we say and do. Our messages depend on how we think the other person will react, so we communicate differently with individual members of the family. Each of us has several different communication patterns that develop over time. It depends on who is communicating.
K-State Research and Extension’s, Essential Living Skills: Basic Family Communication is a curriculum that guides participants toward improving everyday communication in their families. This educational program emphasizes skill-building and mindful communication techniques for improving family communication and interaction.
To access the curriculum, visit https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/S134E.pdf. For assistance, using the curriculum to improve your own family communication, and/or to explore ways you might be able to effectively use the curriculum as a teaching tool in a learning environment, contact Nora Rhoades, Family and Youth Development Agent in the Post Rock District.
By: Nora Rhoades
