by Ganelle Davis

Created on: November 05, 2009

The teens are enthralled in listening to their iPods and yes, they seem to be oblivious to anyone or anything that is going on in the outside world. Many husbands after a hard day's work would rather slumber, watch a game or catch up on the rest their body is yearning for. Who has time for conversing with family in these hectic, down times? The choices of hibernating, tuning out or ignoring family members as opposed to engaging in conversation with family members seems to be a common condition amongst families these days. Improving family communication can be as simple as telling a story, that everyone might have input or a solution. However we have negated the fact, the most important part of communication is not talking , but listening to see what is really going on in the lives of our family members.

Does the family just sit around and gripe and complain about bills and responsibilities or do we tune into what is really on the minds of the family members. Some may say, communicating with your family is a waste of time and also very redundant. Often there is no new news, only the same record played over and over again. . Does sharing your stressful day at work or the story about the driver that cut you off in traffic, enlighten others in any way? The answer to this question is simple for me. I care about what my love ones care about. I wish to know how they solved any problem they faced during the day. If , for what ever reason, they choose not to discuss matters. Surely their must be another topic, we can discuss freely. The problem with communication in a family , is that everyone has their own priorities and agendas and has determined their own level of importance.

Sharing stories of happier times is often an icebreaker. Laughter and fun is something everyone can share in common and relate to. The key is to engage in a conversation, where everyone has something to say. This is not the time to exclude anyone or make them feel as though they are not a part of the conversation, by only introducing a topic only one person can speak on.

One of my favorite stories to share with my youngest brother ,is the time we gathered watermelons from the watermelon patch at our grandfathers home and my brother slammed the huge plump watermelon to the ground, exposing the deep red ,succulent heart of the watermelon. At the time , I was just three years older than my baby brother I stepped back from the broken pieces and said," Ooh we are going to get in trouble". My baby brother eyed me as he handed a big hunk of melon to me and said, Whose going to tell it? Already , I was an accomplice in that deed and I never told. To this very day, that story brings my baby brother and I closer once again.

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