Are You A Good Parent?

By Author: Jennifer Baxt
Total Articles: 200
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The thought of becoming a parent can be one of the most exciting thoughts for a young couple, especially if they are newly married. Starting a family is something that many couples seriously think about, though many will often forget that good parenting can be a lot of work. The work is little trouble for parents who enjoy being close to their children and who cultivate healthy relationships with their spouses and children. A large part in creating strong bonds within a family and having healthy relationships between all involved is good communication. Many families have run into trouble as a result of poor communication, which can lead to misunderstandings and even the breakup of a family.

There are many aspects of parenting that people will tend to forget or feel that is of little importance, and communication is one of them. Good communication will build trust, honesty and help the children develop better social skills that will make their life easier. Poor communication can lead to a breakdown within the family unit. In cases where poor communication exists in the family, the parents will not take the time to listen ...
... to their children, just as they don't take the time to listen to each other, and children who ask why something is will only get the answer because I said so or just because, which can lead to frustration in the child. Children are smart and while parents will accept that children are smart to a degree, they will not to give their children the credit for their intelligence that they deserve. Children are constantly learning, and to learn about life, about their family and about themselves, they need to ask questions in order to get the answers they are searching for. As time goes on and parents continue to limit their communication with their children, their children start to look for answers on their own as they become frustrated with their parents who don't seem to know anything. Communication breakdown like this will often cause rifts in the relationship between the parents and the children, especially when the children reach their teenage years and start to become more independent as they become adults.

Any family therapist that a troubled family talks to will say that communication is one of the key elements to having a good family relationship and a strong family unit. Without the good communication, the foundation for building and maintaining that strong bond between parent and child is gone. When starting a family, or even before starting a family, consulting an online family counselor or therapist about how to develop good communication skills with children will help to prepare the couple for parenthood. It will also set them on track to developing a healthier and more permanent relationship with their children. This will not only help to maintain a good relationship between the parents and the child, it will also help to keep the child on track to having a more successful and productive life. Children of parents who take the time to communicate with them, and help them to find the answers to any questions they may have, will often feel more secure and confident in life.