Tips on improving your kids listening skills
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Do you sometimes struggle to get your kids to listen and pay attention to what you’re saying? Do you often feel frustrated or resort to raising your voice? Here are 4 quick ways you can encourage your kids to listen to you and help you restore your sanity!
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Working together and managing behaviour
In our busy lives it often seems quicker and easier to give children instructions and replies of ‘Because I said so’ or ‘Do it now!’ However rewording your requests with phrases that show interest and promote involvement will encourage children to cooperate more. It helps children feel listened to, and in time they will start listening too.
Benefits of asking young kids open-ended questions
Through the use of language and open-ended questioning we as parents are able to expand our children's curiosity and ability to reason, their creativity, thinking ability and independence. Open-ended questions have no right or wrong answers, but help to broaden children’s thinking processes, to develop their speech and language skills, and to build confidence in their ability to express themselves using words.
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Do you often feel frustrated or resort to raising your voice if they're not listening?
Here are 4 quick ways you can encourage your kids to listen to you and restore your sanity!
Tips on improving your kids listening skills
1. Encourage your kids to listen by being a role model
Listen to your kids. Teaching them to listen begins with you. It's different from hearing, which only means you perceive sound.
Listening to your kids is a conscious decision to engage and to pay attention to what they are saying.
It goes beyond verbal communication; it also involves using your ears, eyes, mind and heart when they talk to you.
2. Slow down & listen to your kids
When we're busy, we don't take the time to absorb the world and listen to the people around us.
We are not always fully present, but running ahead of ourselves in our minds.
Try to pause, breathe and settle into the moment and teach your kids to slow down and do the same.
3. Learn to be attuned to your kids
Become attuned and aware of what your kids are feeling.
Are they feeling overwhelmed about something, tired from a long day, hungry, frustrated or upset?
When you are attuned to your kids you are connected and able to communicate effectively and listen properly.
You can then respond appropriately and support them fully.
4. Be dependable & honest with your kids
Do you follow through with what you tell your kids?
Or do you appease them with bribes and rewards in the heat of the moment, saying things such as ‘We'll go to the park tomorrow’ - and then you don't?
Broken promises and white lies add up quickly.
Even the youngest of kids will begin to question why they should listen to someone who doesn't have integrity and follow through with what they’ve promised.
Keep to your word.
More kids articles to enjoy:
- Understanding disruptive behaviour
- Learning to share
- Tips for reducing tantrums
Image source: kindermusik