Many say that "mothers know best." And though moms are not perfect human beings, they do perfectly in several aspects of lives, and making kids feel better is one of them. Experts demonstrated from a study how talking with moms help kids handle the difficult times in their lives.
Researchers conducted an experiment to prove how daughters' communications with their moms are beneficial when they are faced with personal challenges. Haley Horstman, narrative scholar and assistant professor of interpersonal and family communication at the University of Missouri stated, "The goal of the research was to understand how communication can change the way daughters make sense of their experiences. When dealing with difficult situations from death to problems in school, how a daughter communicates with her mother will impact her overall well-being. We wanted to learn how aspects of interpersonal communication such as perspective-taking, coherence, and taking turns impact how we make sense of adversity.
The study was tested to 62 young women. They were asked to fill out a well-being survey and record a challenging experience that they are currently facing. The participants then narrate their stories to their moms. The procedure was repeated after two days. Experts found the bad experiences turn to be more positive as daughters confide with their mothers and, moms narratively share experiences and their point of view.
Experts linked the progressive outcome to narrative sense making, a way of creating a clearer understanding of ambivalent circumstances through telling stories.
Cognitive-edge explained this concept by writing, "More exactly, sensemaking is the process of creating situational awareness and understanding in situations of high complexity or uncertainty in order to make decisions. It is "a motivated, continuous effort to understand connections (which can be among people, places, and events) in order to anticipate their trajectories and act effectively."
Researchers believe that through open communication between parents and children, especially moms and daughters, kids can easily cope with the challenges they face every day and make them feel better.
