Can You Hear Me Now? How to Get Kids to Listen
Remember that adorable chatty child who not long ago hung lovingly on your every word and considered you her number-one pal? Now she often seems like a glassy-eyed pre-tween who’s turned ignoring you into an art form and has made even the simplest request like “Please put your socks in the hamper” into an exercise in mind-numbing repetition.
Your child isn’t deliberately trying to drive you insane (successful though she may be), and her maddening new behavior has more to do with her sense of self than how she feels about you. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), preschoolers are constantly experiencing an increasing sense of control over their own lives, and they’re focusing more than ever before on the outside world and the interesting things going on there, like school, friends and sports. Their selective deafness is one way of testing the limits of their growing independence.
How to Get Kids to Listen: 5 Tips
So how can we get our kids to actually listen? The AAP says it’s in the delivery. Try these tips to break your child’s sound-free barrier.
Stop the Information Overload
A child’s brain can only process so much. Hit them with too many details – “Turn off the TV, then go upstairs, get changed, brush your teeth and comb your hair” – and they won’t be able to recall anything past step one or two. Be too vague – “Get ready for bed” – and they won’t take your request seriously. Instead, try splitting your request into two parts. Start with something like, “When this show is over, it’s time to turn off the TV and get ready for bed.” Then once the TV is off, continue with, “Okay, honey, pj’s and toothbrushing are next.” Then you can even throw in a choice like “Do you want to skip or hop into the bathroom?” to make the task more fun.
Be Direct
When you dwell on a topic for too long, your child will tune out. For instance, if you say, “Honey, we’re meeting Julius in the park and you’ll want to climb at the playground. So you have to change out of your sandals before we leave home,” it’s unlikely that he’ll change into appropriate shoes. Instead, be concise and make the request up front: “Honey, put on your sneakers now because we’re going to the playground.”
Work on Delivery
Your child will listen better if you engage more than just her sense of hearing. A visual approach (looking her in the eye) combined with a tactile one (placing your hands on her shoulders) can help her focus better on what you’re saying.
Don’t Sound Like a Broken Record
If you feel like you’re saying the same things over and over, stop. Kids can become conditioned to wait to respond until you’ve said something for the fifth time. Your words become nothing but background noise. Your child will be more inclined to do what’s asked of him if he understands that his actions have clear, enforceable consequences. Give him specific instructions no more than twice, and be sure to follow through with appropriate disciplinary actions if he doesn’t comply. On the flip side, acknowledge when he does follows directions the first time. Saying something like “Thanks for being a good listener” will reinforce his desire to pay attention.
Give Your Full Attention
You may think that you’re able to listen to your child while watching the news or texting your BFF. But what your child sees is a parent who is only half listening. And if you’re not paying attention, why should she? Of course, not everything your child has to say is a showstopper. Still, try to give them your attention, make eye contact, acknowledge what she’s saying and ask questions. After all, they learn their listening skills from us.
