Communicating Differently

     When I thought about whether or not I communicate differently with different people I came to the determination that I do.  Although I feel that I am friendly to everyone that I meet, I know that I am definitely more comfortable talking to people who I know than someone I have just met.  I get nervous about meeting and talking to new people because I am never sure as to what I want to say.  I always feel as if I am not going to say the right thing and I will come off sounding unintelligent.  Also I feel that I communicate differently with children than I do with adults.  I feel very comfortable carrying on a conversation with children whether I have just met them or not.  I think that it is because I have a very nurturing spirit and I always want children to feel comfortable and not scared when interacting with adults.  I use different communication styles with children based on their personality but I ask them questions and joke with them.  I think that I talk to children in my school the same way that I speak or would speak to my own children.
A final group that I feel I communicate differently with is elderly people.  If feel that I communicate differently with them by listening better and letting them talk more than what I talk.  I think that sometimes people believe that the older generation doesn't have anything left to offer, that they have lived their lives and that is it.  I believe that it is important to make our older generation feel as if they are valued by listening to their wisdom and taking advice that they are willing to give.  Spending time with my grandmother is one of the most cherished parts of my week and I find communication with her to be open and honest.  I also know that she is going to "tell it like it is" and I have to be ready to accept whatever it is that may come out of her mouth.
     I think one strategy that would help me communicate better with people that I don't know would be to use "small talk" and wait for responses from these people(Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011).  When they respond then I can respond back and communication would be easier.  I need to remember that it is about interacting with other people and not about how intelligent I sound.  I need to place the focus on the way the other person would like to communicate in order to make communication easier in these situations.
     A second strategy that I could use when communicating with children would be to adapt my behavior in communicating with the personalities of each of the children in my class.  I have to get to know each child so that I know the best ways that I can communicate with them.  When we adapt our communication to meet the needs of the people with whom we are communicating then we are able to experience more positive communication (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011).
      A third strategy that I can use is in communicating with elderly people is to put myself in their mental position and emotional mindset(Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011).  I truly believe that elderly people want to feel that they are still valued and that people just don't overlook what they have to say because they are getting older and they may feel as if their minds are not as sharp.  If we put ourselves in someone else's shoes and think about how they may be feeling or the way they may see a topic, we can find better ways of communicating with them where they will feel respected and valued for what they have to share. 

References:

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.