Every other parent in this world would be interested to know the best possible way to get their child to listen to them in the very first instance.
Does that happen?
I guess not.
Our tiny versions have a lot on their minds and listening to their parents could be at the last place on their to-do list.
A toddler’s day could be super busy and scheduled to do various activities that include tearing the house apart and spilling water everywhere.
To make them listen to you for the first time, you must cultivate the habit of paying attention.
We, parents, don’t want our children to listen to us rather want them to act.
Listening is important, they will act accordingly, if we get them listen to us.
Here are 3 powerful ways to get the child to listen for the first time-
1. Make sure you have your child’s attention
This is a very curial step, don’t start before you have your child’s full attention. Rather raising your voice high, move in close. Hold their hand gently, have eye contact, this will make the child feel connected to you. Now, it is easy for you to make them understand your words.
If you still don’t get the child’s attention, you can always use phrases like “Can you please hear me out”?
“Mamma wants to talk to you “. This will help them to respect and achieve what is important to them.
2. Avoid repeating yourself
If you have asked the question once and don’t have your child’s attention, give some time or work on getting their attention. Avoid repeating yourself, they might not be ignoring your word on purpose. The young child has a very small attention span and can be easily distracted.
3. Use fewer words and stay calm
Most of us convey simple messages by using too many words just to get the child’s attention. When parents get upset the child starts to feel unsafe. During this panic situation they became less attentive and fail to understand our message. Raising voice and losing our calm can make everyone upset.
Read how Goal Setting can make you a Better Parent here.
About the Blogger-
I am Hema, HR turned full-time blogger based in Bangalore. I prefer to observe and analyze the real world and blog about my learnings. As a parent, I always look for the best possible ways and hacks to make parenting easy. Stay tuned to this space and witness some healthy food recipes and tips to make parenting a fun journey.
It’s definitely true that children have a small attention span. Mine gets distracted so easily. I just try to give him a little bit more time as you said.
I like the part about moving in close and holding their hand. I’ll have to try this.
Do try that. Thank you so much for reading.
As a teacher, I use all of these tips daily. Having to communicate with multiple students at once has helped me now with my own child. As you mentioned being patient and calm is essential.
Glad to hear that.
This is great advice! Sometimes the frustration can make me forget to stay calm and implement these types of strategies! I’m going to focus on these things more intentionally! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading.
Kids are easily distracted, as we all know. They often don’t even hear you when you speak. So yes, making sure you have their full attention is definitely step one. Once you’ve accomplished that, you’re 80% of the way there.
Exactly
Tiny tiny attention spans…. the more concise and clear the message the better 🙂
True
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