Communication and Interaction between Parents and Offspring: Influences on Children’s School Performance

Abstract

Communication established in the familiar environment makes possible the learning of values and behavior patterns and influences the construction of factors that interfere decisively on children’s social, emotional and cognitive development. Current research investigates the communication patterns and the interaction between parents and offspring and their possible influence on children’s school performance. Two groups of pupils of an educational institution were compared. Twelve individuals, six children and their respective mothers, answered a questionnaire on communication and interaction between parents and their children. Among the children, three had good performance in school activities, whereas the other three had difficulties. Results show that the answers given by the group of children with good school performance and their mothers were close in all investigated items. On the other hand, answers from the group of children with difficulties were contradictory, especially on the items related to communication and interaction during leisure activities. Data suggest that in the second group the children’s perception on the relationship between them and their mothers is highly different from the image that their mothers have about this relationship. This fact demonstrates patterns of inadequate interaction and communication. Since communication and interaction quality between the children and their mothers were better in the first group, this fact confirms the hypothesis that good communication and interaction between parents and offspring interferes positively on the children’s school performance.