Discipline And Parenting - Helping Child To Listen

Good communication plays a major role in family dynamics. Leaning how to communicate with your kids is part of discipline strategies. Many parents find it frustrating to talk to their children because their kids sometimes have selective hearing, which means they will only respond to subjects they wanted to hear. A child who stubbornly refuses to respond in simple calls can make every day living a fight. Here are effective ways that parents use to help children particularly preschoolers to listen:

Call Your Child By Name
Most parents call their children by their cute little nicknames like Sweet Pea, Little Princess and Hannah Banana. If your kid is already big enough to be called by her nickname, you may want to address your child with her first name. Talk to your child and ask her if she prefers to be called by her first name or by her nickname. Also, when making requests, start with your child's name, for example, "Savine, will you please..."

Offer Choices
Include your child when making decisions. Maybe, your kid is not listening to you because you are being so dominant and you want to do everything your way. The next time you are picking shirt for your daughter, ask her what she prefers to wear, "the pink blouse or the white dress?"

Talk To Your Child Where He Can See You
Do not shout from the next room when talking with your child. If you can, position yourself where your child can see you face to face.

Talk To Your Kids On How You Want Them To Talk To You
To get your kid to listen, assess the way you communicate with your child. If you are the type of parent who always talks as if you are mad with someone, try to change the tone of your voice and your body language. Even a toddler can learn how to say "Excuse me" or "Please". Do not let your children feel that having manners is optional. If you want your kids to be polite, be courteous to them as well.

Make Your Command Clear
When giving commands and requests make it short and direct to the point. If you want your kids to sleep at 8pm, you can simply say, "8, bedtime."

Choose Your Words
Avoid using accusing, criticizing and threatening words. Instead of using these words, you can give facts like "I can see candy wrappers on the table" or "There's paint on the wall". Moreover, try to avoid giving lectures. If you are seeing something you don't like, you can use one word to describe it like "Shoes!" Or "Lights!"

When Your Child Is Talking, Listen
Be a good model if you want your child to listen. Never ignore them when they are talking. If you are busy, and your child wants to talk to you, politely ell your child to give you a minute to attend to whatever you are doing and you will get back to her. Just keep your promise. When you are already talking to your kid, listen attentively. Do not cut her while she is talking. You may affirm what your child is saying by giving non-committal responses like "Mmm", "I see," or "Oh".

Above are ways on how to help your kids to listen to you. Certainly, it takes time for a person especially kids to become good listeners. Also, it may take time for you to stay calm and composed when giving directions and requests to your kids. In the meantime, continue to be positive and do not give up on first try.

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