"A daughter is an extension of her mother and also a woman unto herself" ~Honey
You love one another...yet one of you is often saying the wrong thing! Does that sound familiar, dear readers? I have toiled over the years to improve my communication skills with my daughters because they are attuned to everything I say! My girls weigh my every sentence! Personally I feel they are, at times, very unskilled Tic Toc detectives, meaning they read into my words incorrectly. So what's a mother to do? Here are a few tips for survival...
Recently, I had a telephone conversation with one of my daughters.
I said, "I am so happy to hear your voice. I haven't seen you in a while (I live in the city, she lives in the burbs) and I miss you."
My daughter's calm response, "Well, I don't know why you are complaining, mom.You travel and spend the winter in California."
Wow! I ask myself, "Where did that come from?"
Though I wanted to immediately retort and defend myself, I pause and bite my tongue because I know the intensity of mother-daughter relationships.
We hung up with a cool good-bye. I wonder to myself... what was the cause of this explosion? Then, I realize, she misses me when I am away and is really giving me a left handed compliment!
So, my first rule of thumb when dealing with negative communication is to bite your tongue! Think twice before you speak once! A negative retort will most probably lead you into a verbal war zone! Why suffer?
The next day, I grabbed a taxi to go to the Arts Club for a lecture and my iPhone rings. I see my daughter's name. My heart begins to race. I don't know what to expect!
"Mom, I am so sorry about yesterday. I had a lot on my mind," she said.
I sighed with relief, then reply, "Of course, I understand. I am so happy you called. I love you so much."
"Thank you for understanding, mom. I love you so much too,"she replied.
You see dear readers, I never allowed myself to enter into a verbal war zone with my daughter on either of the phone calls. I didn't defend myself on the first call and I immediately forgave her on the second call.
My second rule of thumb: Teach yourself to use good communication skills. I did this by remembering how I felt as a daughter when my mother and I argued.
Smooth the waters at all costs. Please make love not war, Refuse to get into a 'you said, I said' situation with your daughters! That is not to say you don't want to! That is not to say you are a weak mother. You are actually a very strong mother and your actions are teaching your daughters how to communicate properly with their daughters.
Lastly, refuse to close the communication door. I start sending loving text messages with my emojis of two hearts intertwined, a red lip meant as a kiss, a rainbow for peace and last but not least a big red XO. They love them! And... they love me! How can they refuse to answer?
Feel good in your role as their mother. You are their role model. Use or learn positive communication skills because it is the glue that holds the mother-daughter relationship together.
And one more tip... don't forget the power of PRAISE. A mother's praise will light a daughter's life.