EDUC6165 Week 2 Blog Entry - Relationship Assumptions: Without and With Sound

            I recorded and watched an episode of Malcolm in the Middle to base my communication entry for this week’s blog.  Without sound I assumed that the man and woman are a couple, the three boys at home their sons and the one away at school/camp was an older son.  The man staying with them I thought might be an uncle.  Based upon non-verbal behaviors, I assumed that the couple is happy, the boys displayed the type of relationship one might expect of three brothers, get into mischief together, fight a little with each other-this continues throughout the episode.  The boys’ thoughts and feelings were quite easy to read through exaggerated facial expression, body movements, and gestures.

            I could basically follow the story line; the boys found a mini-bike, the mom did not approve, and the man living with them was viewed as a nuisance.  The dad and older brother had an up and down relationship.  You could see hope, disappointment, anger, and then pride at different points being felt by the dad throughout the episode being expressed in regard to the son’s actions.  You can see that the three boys finally found a way to convince the mom of letting them keep the mini-bike.  They used a photo of her horse-back riding without safety equipment as a tool to convince her.

            One of the boys snuck the bike out and got hurt.  They were upset; how would they keep the mom from finding out?  The next thing you see is one boy in the truck with the man staying with them getting a ride somewhere and the one with the injured leg and the youngest on the ground, pretending that he ran over the older boy’s leg.  The neighbor is beside himself thinking he hit the boy. 

            The mom comes in checks on the boys, she looks serious, the boys look happy (they think the plan worked.  The man comes in with his suitcase in one hand and cat in the other-leaving.

            When I watched the episode with sound, I found most of my assumptions to be true; except the man who I thought might be an uncle or relative.  He was someone who they had burned his house down.   But he was a nuisance; that was correct.  Most of the rest was very close to what I had thought - the relationship between the three boys, the dad and older son, and the parents.  At the end the mom was aware of the mini-bike accident but decided they could call it even since they managed to get the man to leave the house.

            A more familiar show might have been easier to predict in most cases, but this one had very dramatic acting involved on the parts of the boys and the story line was quite predictable.  I think some people are naturally very animated in their communication and some are harder to read.  I feel it is very important to be observant when either talking or listening to key in on valuable information gained from non-verbal cues.  I have spent the last eight years working with infants who communicate mainly through non-verbal and limited verbal capabilities.  This has enhanced by ability to look for and read non-verbal cues and body reactions which has proven valuable in my work with children, families, and co-workers.