Predictable Patterns

People are creatures of habit.  Ask someone to step outside their comfort zone and do something out of the ordinary, and most will resist.  Falling back on predictable patterns of behavior is what we are used to doing.  It's comfortable. The same is true with communication.  Almost without thought, we respond in a particular way, when provoked, stressed or just plain tired.

Unfortunately, those predictable patterns aren't always the most effective ways of interacting with the world around us.  If you find yourself repeatedly frustrated with children (or spouse) because you get into the same old arguments and disagreements, a change in the way you communicate with them might produce totally different results.

For example, if you tend to yell at your children when they do something wrong, try leaning in close and talking in a low, quiet voice.  Most likely, your child is going to stop, if only to process this new behavior.  The same is true with your spouse.  Responding in a different way will result in a different outcome. 

Relationships evolve over time.  Children grow and learn new forms of driving us crazy  :)  If you feel like you are stuck in predictable relationship patterns, step out of that comfort zone and surprise them!  Do something different!