The biggest complaint I hear from parents is this:
“My kids don’t listen to me!
“No matter what I say to my children they don’t cooperate!”
“How can I get my kids to listen and do what I tell them?”
It is quite frustrating for parents, (me included) when kids do not listen to us. There are so many things that must get done in our day and we need our kids to cooperate. In the mornings, kids need to get dressed, brush their teeth and wash their faces. In the evenings, it is homework, dinner, bath, and pajama time. It seems endless. When kids don’t want to do what we tell them it can be a real challenge.
Is there a way that we can make our kids listen? That is a pretty heavy request. We might want to phrase the question a bit differently. We really should ask, “How can we HELP our kids listen?” And that is the essence of the problem because really, our job as a parent is to teach our kids how to listen.
We need to remember the following when helping our kids learn how to listen:
1. It is not easy to listen. It requires a lot of concentration
2. Nobody likes to be told what to do. It can be demoralizing to listen to commands all day long.
3. Kids who have a structured environment and schedule have an easier time listening.
4. We as parents, need to be realistic about what our children can and cannot do.
5. Kids who are discouraged, because they can’t meet all of our demands, will “not listen” in protest.
6. When we include our kids in the day-to-day decision-making, they will be more likely to listen.
7. We can help children feel in charge of themselves so they are more compelled to listen
Deep down kids want our approval desperately. They do want to listen and cooperate. This is the real tough part: they just need us to be loving and patient as they learn the not so simple task of how to listen.
Parenting viewpoints from parents in the trenches, because parenting doesn’t come with a manual. In addition to