Communicating with Friends and Family
Importance of Friends and Family
- People typically treat friends as equals, can have numerous friendships, and can design friendships to suit their mutual needs.
- People who share affection and resources as a family and who think of themselves and present themselves as a family are a family.
People Typically Choose to be Friends if They...
- Have a lot in common
- Balance each other out
- Like and appreciate each other
- Admire each other
- Open up to each other
- Interact frequently
- Find the friendship rewarding
4 Reasons You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Be a Good Friend
- First impressions can mislead.
- Perfection can be a turn-off.
- It's not all about communication, but it's a lot about communication.
- Making an effort can bridge differences.
Types of Friendships
- Short-term or long-term
- Low or high disclosure
- Doing- or being-oriented
- Low or high obligation
- Frequent or occasional contact
7 Communication Strategies for Being a Good Friend
- Be a good listener.
- Give advice sparingly.
- Share feelings respectfully.
- Apologize and forgive.
- Be validating and appreciative.
- Stay loyal in hard times.
- Be trustworthy.
- Give and take equally.
Gender and Friendship
- Male friendships often involve good-natured competition and a focus on activities, whereas female friends tend to treat each other more as equals and to engage in emotional support and self-disclosure.
- Can heterosexual men and women be just friends? Women typically say yes, but men are less certain.
- Men often find it validating when female friends encourage them to be emotionally expressive, and women say they appreciate the opportunity to be concrete and direct with their guy friends.
- Friendships with diverse people can diminish prejudice.
Online Friendships Differ from Those in Person in That
- There is greater diversity online.
- Many people share more in person, at least at first.
- Online communication can be less anxiety provoking.
- Online communication transcends time and space.
- You're likely to have more online friends than you can actually keep up with.
Parenting Relationships
- Families may make decisions based on conversations or on conformity with parents' wishes.
- Parenting styles vary from authoritarian, to authoritative, to permissive.
Types of Sibling Relationships
- Supportive
- Longing
- Competitive
- Apathetic
- Hostile
6 Communicating Tips for Strengthening Family Ties
- Share family stories.
- Listen to each other.
- Negotiate privacy rules.
- Coach conflict management.
- Share confirming messages.
- Have fun together.