Communication Barriers and How to Overcome Them

Communication Barriers

There are some communication barriers that can get in the way of good parenting & communication. Communication barriers include:

1) Labeling and belittling. Saying things like, "What do you know? You're just a kid!" or "You're a disappointment to me." This paves the way for total lack of communication.

2) Ordering, prescribing and lecturing. Saying things like, "Do it because I said so" or "Stop feeling sorry for yourself." The teen stops listening, no one gets heard, everyone is angry and nothing gets solved.

3) Filibustering. You take the conversation ball and run with it, silencing everyone else.

4) Taking over the problem. You make your teen's problem yours, habitually overreact and make your teen afraid to tell you anything.

5) Mixed messages. This can be encouragement with negative undertones. Saying "You have so much potential", may sound like "You're nothing special right now."