Research Questions:
Literature Review
Zolten & Long (2006) in their study analyzed effective parent-child communication. The authors mentioned that effective and open communication between children and parents is important in order to develop a healthy relationship between parents and positive environment at home. A healthy communication benefits children in forming values & beliefs based upon the communication they had with their parents. Effective communication between parents and children develop respect and trust for each other’s and benefit family through lives. Due to effective communication children feel that they are important and heard by their parents. Overall healthy and effective communication helps in overall development of the children (Zolten & Long).
Davidson and Cardemil (2009) in their article describe effective parent-child communication as communication when parents and child freely share their ideas, problems and information. Effective communication also get reflected in parent’s involvement in children activities such as education, extracurricular activities and personal development. Healthy communication is an integrated part of good parenting, which facilitate the development of strong relationship between parent and child (Davidson et al.).
Ginott (2003) talked about various ways to improve parent-child communication. It is important for the parents to listen to their children irrespective of the time and business. Parents are required to show that they are interested in what children are speaking to them. Parents should let children realize that parents are there to listen, help and support them. The author mentioned that parents should spend time with their children regularly and avoid doing personal work such as taking telephones, reading newspaper, or watching television. Effective communication took place when parents are talking to their children in privacy (Ginott).
For effective communication it is important for parents and child to be relax and comfortable. Parents should start laying the foundation for open conversation when their child is young, and this can be done by asking questions and encouraging children to talk. Parents who develop loving atmosphere for their children, and accept them irrespective of their small mistakes create suitable environment for open and effective communication. In such environment children shares all their feelings, ideas and concerns with their parents. Children also ask consent of their parents in all major and minor decisions that they take at different stages of their life.
Ackard et al. (2006) in their article mentioned about effective communication between adolescent and parents and its impact on emotional health of the child and behavioral development. The authors conducted a research study on 4746 students to analyze their relationship with their parents and its impact on them. Majority of the respondents irrespective of their gender mentioned that they value their parent’s opinions, and they like to consult with them before taking any major decision. Around 25 percent respondents mentioned that they are not comfortable while talking to their mother, and fifty percent girls and 33 percent boys said that they are not comfortable while talking with their father. Findings of the study revealed that poor parental communication at early stage makes adolescents uncomfortable to talk to their parents even on serious and important matters (Ackard et al.).
During adolescent age children go through different kind of changes including psychological changes. Ackard et al. mentioned that during adolescent age children faces various developments in their life, and at this stage they are not old enough to understand things very minutely. Therefore, children are required emotional and mental support from their parents, which can only be gained through effective communication. In absence of proper communication children feel that they are not important and carry no value to their parents. Children who feel left alone often face challenges associated with substance use, body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, obesity, suicide attempts, and depression (Ackard et al.).
Zolten & Long mentioned that if communication between parents and child is ineffective or unhealthy, it has serious consequences. Negative communication makes child believe that he or she is not important, unheard, and misunderstood. In such situation, children do not trust their parents and consider them unhelpful. Negative communication also leads children to take their decisions by themselves without considering or taking opinion from parents. Such children prefer friends over parents or family members. On the other hand, in effective communication, parents and children both carefully listen to each other and respect each other’s feelings. In effective communication, children know that what parents expect from them, and children happily do that to live up to the expectations of their parents.
Pokhrel et al. (2008) in their study examined effect of parent-child communication on substance use behaviors of Hispanic adolescents. In the study, total 1936 Hispanic adolescents were interviewed to gain information on parent-child communication and its impact on their behavior. The authors mentioned that healthy communication between parents and children allow parents to speak openly with their children on all issues. Parents also inform their children about good and bad things including negative aspects associated with substance use. In effective communication, parents talk their children about what is beneficial for them in short and long run, and children also respect & obey what their parents told them (Pokhrela et al.).
Parental monitoring plays a major role in controlling undesired activities of children such as use of marijuana, smoking cigarettes and consumption of alcohol. Pokhrel et al. found a negative relationship between substance use and effective communication & parental monitoring. This shows that children who received time, love, acceptance, respect and support from their parents do not get indulge in substance use, because they know that their parents do not want them to do so. Significant number of adolescents get involved in substance use because they feel isolated and invaluable. Adolescents also use substance under influence of their friends, and because they do not know the serious consequences of substance use (Pokhrela et al.).
Bastien et al. (2011) in their study analyzed the impact of parent-child communication on sexually transmitted deceases such as HIV-AIDS. During adolescent age children noticed various physical and hormonal changes. At this stage it is important that adolescents receive proper knowledge about why these changes are taking place, and how children should handle these changes. Healthy and open parent-child communication facilitate the dissemination of information from parents to their children. Effective communication helps children in understanding how to prevent themselves from unwanted deceases and be healthy (Bastien et al.). A healthy communication between parents and children helps children in understanding different aspects of life and make them a successful person in future.
Works Cited
Ackard, D.M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M., and Perry, C. "Parent–Child Connectedness and Behavioral and Emotional Health Among Adolescents." American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30(1) (2006): 59-66. Print.
Bastien, S., Kajula, L.J., and Muhwezi, W.W. "A review of studies of parent-child communication about sexuality and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa." Reproductive Health (2011): 8-25. Print.
Davidson, T.M., and Cardemil, E.V. "Parent-Child Communication and Parental Involvement in Latino Adolescents." The Journal of Early Adolescence, 29(1) (2009): 99-121. Print.
Ginott, Haim G. Between Parent and Child: The Bestselling Classic That Revolutionized Parent-Child Communication. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2003. Electronic.
Pokhrela, P., Ungera,J.B., Wagner, K.B., Ritt-Olsona, A. & Sussman, S. "Effects of Parental Monitoring, Parent–Child Communication, and Parents' Expectation of the Child's Acculturation on the Substance Use Behaviors of Urban, Hispanic Adolescents." Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 7(2) (2008): 200-213. Print.
Zolten, K.M.A. & Long, N. The Varied Educational Effects of Parent‐Child Communication: A Comparative Study of Fourteen Countries. Scholary. Arkansas: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences , 2006. Print.
