As parents, we’ve all been there: your child seems to be completely ignoring your requests and you feel like you’re talking to a brick wall. It can be incredibly frustrating, but before you throw in the towel, there’s something important to keep in mind.
Children can become so absorbed in their activities that they may not even hear you when you speak to them.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to make sure your child hears you and offer some strategies to help you communicate more effectively.
How a Mother Found a Solution to Her Son's Defiance and Disregard
Not long ago, a mother I know shared her struggle with me. Her son was not listening to her.
No matter what approach or strategy she tried, he continued to ignore her demands and do whatever he wanted.
The situation was so dire that child experts almost misdiagnosed him as autistic. But, thankfully, the story has a happy ending.
In this article, I’ll share how this mother could have saved herself a lot of trouble if she had read Chapter 7 of our eBook, “How to Get Your Kids to Listen.”
Communicating Effectively with Your Child:
The eBook covers what to say and how to say it to get your child to listen.
Chapter 7, “Be Sure They Hear You,” (I will attache the screenshots of the pages at the end of this article) is particularly relevant in situations where children seem to be ignoring their parents’ requests.
In this chapter, we share a fundamental principle (among other things) that often gets overlooked: children may not hear you when they’re fully absorbed in their activities.
Imagine your child building a Lego castle. They’re concentrating so hard that they may not hear you when you speak to them.
You might call out to remind them that it’s time to brush their teeth, but without an answer. They might interpret your words as mere white noise and ignore you altogether.
Understanding Why Your Child May Not be Listening to You and What You Can Do About It
But there might be something else why is your child not listening to you.
The mother from the story had no idea that her son actually can’t hear her because of a hearing problem.
If you suspect that your child might be struggling to hear you, consider having their hearing checked by a medical professional.
Assuming there are no hearing problems, what can you do to make sure your child hears you?
Effective Approaches to Getting Your Child's Attention and Ensuring They Hear and Understand Your Requests
Sometimes as parents, we can get frustrated when we feel like our children aren’t listening to us.
It’s easy to feel ignored or like they’re not paying attention, especially if they’re really focused on something like building a Lego castle.
But it’s important to remember that children often concentrate on their activity so hard that they may not hear what we’re saying.
So, if you find yourself in a situation where you’re trying to get your child’s attention, try to put things down for a while and come to them.
Lower yourself to their level, look them in the eye or touch them, and only then state your request. This will help ensure that they hear you and understand what you’re asking for.
Discovering the Underlying Reasons Why Your Child May Not be Listening to You: A Personal Story
It can be frustrating when we feel like our kids are ignoring us, but sometimes there are underlying reasons for this.
For example, there was a period when I had a feeling that my son wasn’t hearing me very well.
I mentioned this to his pediatrician and she found an infection in one of his ears. Once that was treated, he was able to hear me much more clearly.
Connecting with Your Child
Remember, kids are still learning and developing their communication skills, so sometimes it can take a little extra effort to get their attention.
By taking the time to connect with them on their level, you’ll be more likely to get through and be heard.
And whether they end up doing what you’ve asked for or not, at least you’ll know that they’ve heard you and that’s a great start!
Tips to Ensure Your Message is Heard and Understood
From this chapter from eBook How To Get Your Kids To Listen (Here’s where the magic happens, have a look!) you now know, that:
For us as parents, it’s important to remember that children can get so focused on their activities that they may not hear important information or instructions.
It’s also worth noting that hearing problems can sometimes be the cause of this behavior.
If you suspect your child may be struggling to hear you, consider having their hearing checked by a medical professional.
If you are sure there is everything fine in this area try the following strategies:
To avoid frustration and ensure effective communication, try getting their attention by coming down to their level, making eye contact, or touching them before making any requests. This way, you can be sure that they have heard and understood what you’ve said.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. The ultimate guide to getting your kids to listen. Or at least, the ultimate guide to trying.
Let’s be real, parenting is a never-ending journey full of surprises, challenges, and moments where we feel like trying to teach calculus to a goldfish.
But by following the tips and advice in this article, you might just have a better chance of breaking through that wall and getting your message across.
Just remember, communication is a two-way street, and sometimes it’s not just about what we say, but how we say it. So, take a deep breath, stay calm, and try to connect with your child on their level.
And if all else fails, we can always resort to bribing them with candy or threatening to take away their iPad. Just kidding, but hey, whatever works, right?
If you want to learn more about the eBook I mentioned earlier, click here to see how it can help you improve your relationship with your kids.
I would love to hear your opinion on this article. Do you know somebody who might be having this problem? Or did you experience something similar? Feel free to share in the comments.
Here are the screenshots of the chapter 7 “Be Sure They Hear You“ as promised:
Friendly Invitation
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So come on in, grab a coffee (or a glass of wine, we don’t judge), and let’s navigate this crazy parenting journey together.
Can’t wait to see you in the group!
2 Responses
Parenting has its challenges! Glad there are people like you who help us understand kids 🙂
Absolutely correct! It brings me joy to assist you and other parents in any way that I can.