How To Get Your Child To Listen To You

Being a parent doesn’t mean your children will always do as you ask, in fact it often means you find yourself repeating the same request several times before it is even heard, let alone actioned.

There are a few reasons for this, firstly they could be so absorbed in their current activity that they honestly do not hear you. Secondly, if too much time passes, they may have forgotten your request. Or thirdly, they simply don’t want to do what you asked.

Research shows that children under 14 lack peripheral awareness, which means that if they are focused on a toy, book, game, or TV show when you ask them to do something, their brain is tuned into that activity and cannot process that request.

Here are a few helpful tips to get your child to listen to you the first time:

‍

Get their attention

Make eye-contact and touch their arm to ensure they are listening to you

Check for understanding

Make sure they understand the request by asking them to repeat the instruction

‍

Set a timeframe

Decide in your own mind what you want the child to do and the time frame you will accept for their compliance

‍

Watch for Compliance

Instead of going back to what you were doing, hang around to make sure your request is being actioned

‍

Congratulate success

Reinforcing compliance with praise means your child will be more likely to follow a request next time

‍

Give consequences if necessary

If your child does not complete the request, then be prepared to give and follow through with a suitable consequence

‍

Be consistent

It is vital that you stay firm, if they do not comply then there must be a direct consequence

‍