4 Ways to Teach Ethical Communication to Your Homeschooler

In an age when aggressive and unethical communication exists, how can we raise our homeschoolers to use wise communication skills? It can be so challenging to raise homeschoolers with a good communication mindset, especially when we communicate via our phones frequently. As a former Communications student, I’ve studied ethical communication. In this post, I will share concise, actionable steps for successful communication. 

• Speak with kindness. 
• Consider the other person and use “You” communication.
• Be clear and direct.
• Take time to process.

Communication is a Lesson!

Firstly, teach your children how to speak with kindness. Simply smiling and saying “Thank you” can brighten a person’s day. It shows respect and care for the other person. Also, teach your children how to react slowly. Aggressive and confrontational communication is not kind. When they are upset, teach them to breathe or remove themselves from situations to process emotions. 

Next, teach your children how to consider the other person. Teach them how to ask intentional questions and dig deeper. For instance, if someone talks about their job, encourage your child to ask questions like “What do you love about your job?” or “Why do you feel that you make a difference at your job?”

In addition, instruct your children to use “You” communication. “You” communication looks like: 

Don’t say: “I feel happy when I’m around you.” 

Say: “You make people feel happy.”

Also, be mindful of other people’s perspectives, traumas, or sensitivities. Teach your children how to read the room and become aware of other people’s needs. 

Continuing, teach your children how to be direct and clear. Teach them how to show up with clear intentions. Mixed messages and confusing communication can ruin relationships or cause serious issues. In the workplace, it’s especially important to communicate clearly, so work projects or assignments are completed correctly. 

Finally, emphasize to your kiddos that they can take a timeout. Often, I set aside time to process communication situations in my life. These pauses help me calm down, reflect, process, or heal. During these times, I find solutions or decipher my own feelings. I highly recommend teaching this to your child from a young age. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, communication is a process. As homeschool parents and students, we will continue to learn about communication our whole lives. Life is messy, so communication is messy, too. Give yourself grace when you mess up and move forward (making strides to do the best you can with the situation). Teaching these steps to your children will benefit them in life and help them navigate communication situations. Homeschooling teaches us that life is one big learning experience, so communication is just another class in our educational journey!

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- NxtEra

Written by Bethany (@thebookwormgirl_bethany)