If you want to get your child to listen to what you have to say, there are specific steps that you need to keep in mind. These steps will help you become a better parent and allow your child to develop into a respectful and compassionate human being that he or she is supposed to be in the future.
If your child can listen to you right from the beginning, you will be able to teach him a lot about life and how to handle certain situations if it ever comes up. The most important thing to establish first is the trust between you and your child.
Once your child trusts you, he would know that you will not say anything that can hurt him in the long run and therefore will listen to what you have to say. However, establishing that trust is not easy to do. This is why we have listed at least eight steps were you to take if you want your child to listen to you now and in the days to come.
If you want to learn more about this particular skill, please do not hesitate to read on. I am sure that you will learn a lot as a parent or someone who is bound to have children of his or her own in the future.
8 Tips That Can Help the Child Develop His Listening Skills
1. Speak Clearly and with Ample Volume
The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that you speak clearly and loudly. Children will respond if they hear their name being called immediately. This is why you have to make sure that he can listen to your voice when you say something.
2. Get the Child to Focus on You Alone
Secondly, you have to make sure that they only focus on you when you speak. If they are fleeing, call them out and try to bring them into a quiet room without any distractions. This way, they will be able to listen to what you have to say calmly without anything else to think about.
3. Speak Calmly and Quietly
You should speak in a calm and quiet voice. If you have to say something important, always remember to maintain calmness. Children will not respond to aggression or shouting. If you do this, chances are they will become agitated and end up not listening to you at all.
Try to maintain a level head so that you could speak calmly towards the child.
4. Speak to Your Child as If You’re Speaking to a Normal Adult
In addition to this, try to speak to your child as if you’re speaking to an adult. Do not baby talk your toddler. This way, the child will realize the gravity of what you’re saying even though he does not fully understand it yet. In turn, he will keep quiet and let you speak without interruptions.
5. Get Down to His Level Physically
If you can, stoop down to reach the child at his height. This will make you feel secure knowing that you’re not looking down on him as a superior. If you do this coupled with talking to him like he is an adult, you’ll find that he will listen to you with fascination always.
6. Use Simple Words
Use words that he will understand. If you’re going to talk to your child, always use words that are simple enough for him to follow. If he doesn’t know what you’re trying to say, he will get bored and distracted in the middle of your conversation.
7. Maintain Eye Contact at All Times If You Can
It would also help to maintain eye contact when speaking to your child. This way, you will be able to establish a strong connection with the child even before you say anything. It is essential to maintain eye contact with anyone you’re talking to because you will be able to show your sincerity when you speak through the eyes.
By doing this, you will also be able to show your child that you trust him to listen to you when you speak.
8. Keep Your Cool
Lastly, you should always try to keep cool when speaking to your child. If you become too emotional or agitated when talking to him or her, you will blow your chances of making him the same even before you begin opening your mouth. It’s a matter of setting up the mood of the conversation.
If your child feels safe to talk to you, he will not have a hard time listening to what you have to say. If he is afraid of you, then you have your work cut out for you for sure. Try to help him relax before talking to him. This way, you will be able to say what you want to say without scaring the child or making him feel trapped in any way.
The Final Words
These are just some of the main tips that we can give you if you want to make your child listen to what you have to say quickly. The important thing is that you can establish a connection with your child even before you start talking.
With a connection established, you will be able to explain why you need to talk to him without him pulling away. His ability to listen also depends on the topic of conversation. If he is not interested in what you have to say, then he won’t listen.
The key here is to make him interested in listening to you. Always tried to make the conversation as light as possible. This way, you will be able to establish rapport with your child without difficulty. His interest in what you have to say will follow eventually for sure.
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try out these tips right away. I am sure that you will not regret your decision to do so. You will not only maintain open communication lines with your child but also if make him see the wisdom of your words sooner rather than later.
