Name:_________________________________ Date:____________________________

Good communication skills are vital in a family that hopes to make decisions together, solve problems effectively, and promote a positive sense of well-being among family members. Use of sarcasm, ridicule, name calling, ignoring, making an annoyed face, looking incredulous, snickering, mocking, overgeneralizing, lecturing, not paying attention, interrupting, getting off the topic, ordering, hogging the conversation, threatening, laughing at, and making light of someone’s feelings are just a few of the many actions that could interfere with communication. Typically one person’s negative action leads to another person’s negative reaction and before you know it, an argument erupts, nobody listens to anyone, and positive communication breaks down.

With a good effort by everyone, people can begin to communicate with one another in more productive ways. The key is to show respect, patience, understanding, and compassion for one another. Criticism will always block effective communication. Often it is better to say less than more and to do so in a positive way. Below is a chart showing behaviors which encourage positive communication and those which cause communication breakdowns. Check the left-hand and right-hand columns to indicate skills you are good at and those you have a problem with.