Getting your children to listen to you the first time you give an order can seem almost mission impossible and is something some parents could only dream of. How many times do you repeat yourself for the thing you requested to be done? And does it actually get done in the end? If your answers to the previous questions were ‘multiple times’ or ‘it’s not even worth the hassle in the end’ then we suggest you continue reading. This is where the importance of listening skills comes in!
We will start off with the first point that is crucial for children to start listening to you. For them to listen to you, you have to listen to them. You can’t expect a child to follow your orders if you daily demonstrate the opposite. The phrase ‘monkey see, monkey do’ is more influential than you may think. In fact, when giving an order a good way to see if they understood what is being asked of them is to ask them to repeat it back to you and listen carefully to see if they seem confused by the given order.
Another point to keep in mind is to make sure that you use the correct tone when communicating with your little one especially when asking them to do something. Your tone shouldn’t be harsh or angry from the get-go but serious and calm. Also, keep in mind the environment around. Are they distracted by toys or a tv show? You can’t expect them to do what you asked if they didn’t even hear it, to begin with. Make sure that you communicate your order slowly and clearly when you have their attention so be sure that you know what you want from them before you ask for it.
Lastly, ask yourself these questions before demanding anything for your little ones.
-Did they clearly understand what is being expected of them?
-Have they been taught how to do what is needed to be done before or will you need to show them?
-Can they handle the task you are about to give them?
We hope these little tips on listening skills, help you out!
At some point or another, our children will lie to us. How should we react to it? Check out our blog for some tips!
https://www.childcaremalta.mt/children-lie/
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