Ways To Make Your Kids Listen To You

I heard a group of young mothers discussing how difficult parenting was, with it being all the more difficult when children do selective listening. Selective listening makes it difficult for parents to teach children all about discipline; it is best for parents to be calm and find out ways to make their children listen to them. It was futile to just yell, preach and nag; these attitudes only made things worse. 

Some valuable tips to get your kids to listen to you:

• Irrespective of what the situation is make it clear to the child that you want them to listen to you; this could be done by giving clear commands and trying to be to the point. It would help to just use a few important words to give instructions and avoid the tendency to threaten, accuse, criticize and use generalized situations.

• The way you put across an instruction or command is equally important as what is said; use an encouraging and positive tone and avoid the tendency to nag while giving instruction. Give the instruction the first time nicely, second time firmly and take action with warning the third time.

• Your body language also equally matters; while giving instructions either go close to the child or ask him/her to come to you. Maintain eye contact when you want him/her to listen to you and make the child repeat what you said to ensure he remembers it.

• If a child repeatedly does not do as instructed, ensure that he/she knows exactly what is expected of him/her. If your child does not wash his/her hand before each meal, explain that he would only be taking in germs while eating by not obeying.

• Some children deliberately do not listen to parents; it would help to firmly inform him/her about the consequences of not obeying and allow one to decide.

• Lastly you could as a parent be a role model to inculcate the habit of listening in your children; listen to your children by paying a lot of attention to what they are saying. Then children will feel the parents listen to them and would also not ignore telling them their feelings. This would help be a good parent with listening helping in solving various problems. When you listen to what a child tells you about school you would soon discover various feelings hidden behind the words that you could easily identify. Ensure while listening that you acknowledge what the child says with a word or at least a nod, making sure to ensure eye contact.

All these tips done with warmth and enthusiasm would ensure that a child listens to you; top it all with praising and rewarding your child for cooperation. 

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