Parents usually complain that their kids don’t listen to them. If you need to repeat your instructions for more than three times and still your kids are ignoring you then there is an issue in your parenting. No one wants to become such a parent; it is saddening and demotivating. And, what if your children is obeying one of the parents only. This makes the situation even worse as you will start feeling helpless and powerless. First of all, you need to admit that you are not being a perfect parent to your kids. It is not your kids’ fault if they ignore you. If you think if you have got a bad egg even after trying everything; from explaining to bribing, from punishing to shaming, from explaining to begging, from reasoning to reminding, and everything else and it is still not working then take your time to understand your child. If think that there is no hope of your little monster to become an angel for you then you are being absolutely wrong. Well, we are here to help you out of this situation. With our guide on ‘how to make kids listen’, you can easily restore peace in your home.
Basic Guide on How To Make Kids Listen To You
1. Try Another Viewpoint
You don’t need to always yell to make your kids follow your instructions. Yelling and shouting wouldn’t be of any good. Instead, take a step back and understand what is going wrong. Think about the other ways through which you can approach your kids. Understand one more thing that your child is not capable of undermining you, it is just a matter of time. If you want a better strategy then follow this. Marianna Carnovale, a mother from Nutley, New Jersey shared that she never gives any instruction to her son when he is being glued to his favorite show or to video games. Also, she makes her son repeat her instructions so that he won’t forget any of the information provided in her instructions.
2. Make Your Presence Count
It won’t take much of an effort for a 7- to an 8-year old kid to ignore you. But, also, it is not much difficult for you to make your presence count for your kid. You can just block the view of your kid to get the attention. Even a light tap on your kids’ shoulder will snap them out of their world. If you could be a bit dramatic or humorous then it would be very helpful for you. A phrase or a word out of context can drag the attention of your kids towards you. Another mother accepted that “My strategy is to say something completely off-topic, outlandish, and silly, like ‘Hey, chicken lips.” To make your presence count, you need to hinder the thoughts of your kid for a while.
3. Don’t Call Your Child Every Now and Then
If you keep on repeat your instructions for your kid then it is sure that your kid won’t listen to you at any cost. Even calling your child’s name again and again won’t be favorable for you. Instead, make your child sit with you for once and remind him/her about what you’ve instructed earlier. Also, inform your child with the consequences he/she might face if the instruction goes unfulfilled again. For an instance, you can say, “I am happy to ask you to remove put on your shoes but after that, I need to walk out of the house without you.” This very sentence is a request with an authority it. There are few chances that your instruction will go waste. You can also set alarms for your kids. A 3-minute alarm to turn off the TV. Also, let them know that if they behave properly then they will get a reward. It would be better if you disclose your reward beforehand because your reward can lure your child towards your instruction.
4. Choose Your Instructions Wisely
Kids let go of a number of instructions as they don’t think that all those small works actually matter. According to Dr. Fick, “Kids this age often feel overwhelmed, they’re more likely to listen and cooperate if they feel that parents are only asking them to do the really important things.” So, instead of making your child do smaller jobs, prioritize the tasks, as picking a chocolate wrapper from the hallway can wait but completing homework on time can’t. It would be better if you could just prioritize your instructions.
5. Listen To What Your Child Has To Say
There are a number of cases where children start ignoring elders because they think they are being ignored too. According to them, if no one is paying attention to them then they don’t need to pay attention to any of their elders. These days, parents are being ignorant and inconsiderate. Everyone is continuing with their busy lives and the same goes with parents. Parents don’t consider many things as significant as to spend their quality time on it. But, these insignificant things might matter to your child. So, before you do anything to improve your relationship with your kids, first, stop being inconsiderate. You might not like what harry potter end up with but it is important for your kid as your kid’s homework is important to you. If kids have your attention on whatever they say, in return they will also listen to you. Always keep in mind “if you want to be listened then be a good listener first.”
These are the proven ways in which you can make your kids listen to you. If you have any other tricks of yours, then do not hesitate to share those with us. We will surely update our guide on ‘how to make kids listen’ with your proven tricks.
Tiru Dehariya
