Education
Hi, my name is Ms. Jade and I am a teacher here at the Little Dreamers Nursery. Is listeningsomething that your child struggles with? Well today I’m here to give you some top tips onhow to get your child to listen a bit more effectively. Be sure to hit the subscribe button belowso that you don’t miss out on future videos from Edarabia.1. Attention first, get on their levelMy first tip is to make sure that you connect with your child prior to asking them a question or giving them a command. To do this its best to get down on their level, make eye contact orgive them a gentle touch on their body. You might want to start by commenting onsomething that they are doing (for example- “wow, I like what you’re doing with the blocks,what did you build?”) then, allow your child to respond before making your request, this wayyour child will be much more likely to co-operate.2. Use fewer words- do and not don’tTry to keep your interactions on the positive side, using more do’s instead of dont’s.Negative commands such as “no” and “don’t” can sometimes confuse children as they arerequired to then process multiple things instead of one (what should I not be doing? Andwhat shall I do instead?) So, instead of telling your child “Don’t throw the toys all over thefloor” you could say “Please keep the toys inside the basket”. This way they only have tolisten, process and respond to one thing, therefore your child will be more likely to followthrough with the command.3. Give them a choiceIf your ever stuck in a stand-off with your child and they may be being very persistent abouta particular matter. This next tactic can work wonders in this type of scenario and it’s assimple as offering your child a choice. For example, “which shoe do you want to put on first?This one or this one? This allows your child to think that they are the one in control. Childrenof all ages have a hard-wired need for power. When children don’t have opportunities toexert their power in positive ways such as choosing what clothes to wear or picking whatgame to play they tend to exert their power in negative ways, this is where you will see thechallenging behavior.4. Engage co-operation- say thank you beforehandAll people (children through to adults) thrive from being managed in a positive way. Bysaying thank you to your child before you give your instruction your child will understand thatyou trust them to follow through with the direction that you are giving, increasing thelikelihood of them actually doing it. So try saying “thank you for cleaning up your toys whenyou have finished with them, it makes me so happy”. Try it- it really works!5. Routine, Routine, RoutineLastly, as we all know and understand a solid routine is imperative and also ensures thatchildren are naturally conditioned to what is about to happen. When a child is settled into aroutine they are already expecting that you are about to ask them to tidy up or brush theirteeth or go to bed (especially if you give a warning a few minutes before), whilst this might not work all the time having a routine will help to minimize the likelihood of your child ‘notlistening’ as such, as they are already aware of what’s about to come.Support the show