Week 1: Demonstrating Competent Communication Within A Certain Context

My sister Courtney is a wonderful mother to 4-year old Melody. She has demonstrated competent communication skills through her parenting style. She recently witnessed her daughter having a verbal altercation with a playmate about a toy. Courtney calmly explained to both girls that it is always good to share some materials with others. She stated "I have a good idea......I understand that there is only 1 bicycle available to ride.....Melody....Allow your friend Minnie to ride the bike for 5 minutes.......Then you will also ride the bike for 5 minutes.....This is how we solve our problem....This is a great time for sharing." Both girls smiled and continued to play, remembering Courtney's instructions and following directions. This is an effective communication skill known as compromising. This is also teaching social skills to young children. Courtney was very patient and enthusiastic while speaking to both girls. She encouraged them to work as a team. She was teaching both girls how to make good choices. I would want to model some of my own communication behaviors after this person because Courtney's communication behaviors revealed positive results. This communication behavior supports children developing meaningful relationships with each other. Children often imitate behaviors displayed by their parents or adults. According to O'Hair & Wiemann (2012), "Most of the skills we need in order to communicate must be learned." Courtney's daughter (Melody) has applied this effective communication behavior to her daily life as she plays with her friends.

References
O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.