Encourage your child to pay attention and follow through on what they hear

Do you want your child to really pay attention to you? Here are easy ways you can encourage them to pay attention to you and follow-through.

It’s entirely normal when you ask your children, “How was your day?” or “What would you like for dinner?” and they ignore you. Nowadays, people’s attention spans are so short that it’s difficult to hold their children’s interest. When we’re in a hurry, we’re more likely to yell at them or remark things.

Even if we expect the same from our children, timing is everything. Your child will be less likely to pay attention to you if you interrupt them while they’re engaged in an activity they enjoy. Don’t do anything to your children that you wouldn’t want to be done to you or another adult, so don’t do it to your children.

Engage many senses when working with a child.

A young youngster must be able to see you in order to pay attention to what you have to say. The value of kneeling down to their level is well-known, but you could also sit next to them and do what they’re doing for a few moments before saying something. Let them know you care by putting your arm around them or clasping their hand. When you place your child in your arms, they’ll be drawn to you.

Get down to the nitty-gritty.

Your 3-year-old may be learning that “Mom or Dad has to say it’s okay before you take a piece of something like this” when they’re caught eating their brother’s Halloween candy while sitting on the light-colored couch. The kids could think it’s okay to eat their brother’s chocolate if they eat it at the dinner table if you talk about the risk of getting the couch soiled while doing so.

Using their stuffed animals, children may communicate with each other.

This may seem cheesy, but it works to compel your child to do what you want them to. The phrase “Mr. Bear created a mess with the Magna-Tiles, and now he wants to leave!” could be used. Afterward, let your child say something like: “Mr. Bear, you’ve got to come back and clean that up!” Being in charge will let kids realize that they should, too, if Mr. Bear had to do it.

Kids need to be warned.

Use phrases like “I’m going to tell you something that you should hear” or “I’ve got one more item that I’d like to tell you about what’s going to happen tonight that I’m confident will be worth your time” with children in preschool through second grade. Teachers frequently use visual cues like these to get students’ attention in the classroom.

Verify that you were heard.

Try a more playful tone instead of asking, “Are you listening?” try a more playful tone. It is possible to ask, “I wonder if you can tell me what I said just a second ago?” Asking, “Can you tell your sister where we’re going to put the recycling?” is another method to see if they understand.

Show some feeling.

You should express your feelings when you wish to talk about a significant issue. It’s possible to claim that “This made me sad when I saw photos of us trekking together and realized that we hadn’t done it in years. What do you think we should do in order for us to re-establish our relationship?” If you need to break unpleasant news to someone, say something like, “I want to tell you something incredibly hard for me to talk about, and I might cry. ” That immediately grabs a child’s interest. You may assume that you should avoid expressing your emotions in front of your children, but this only makes them more fearful of expressing their feelings in front of you.

Children who have difficulty concentrating should have their needs clarified so that they can understand.

My job is to help children with ADHD, and their families learn skills that can be applied to any child, no matter their age. Do not use the phrase “Could you set the table?” when commanding your child to do something: “Please set the table.” When dealing with a youngster that is difficult to guide, trying to be kind creates the impression that the child has a choice. In addition, be specific and avoid being generic. As an alternative to saying, “Clean your room,” you can say, “Please put your laundry in the basket.”

Your child may have ADHD if they have a hard time remaining focused.

Articles you might like: How To Raise an ADHD Child, ADHD Treatment Decision, How Having a Pet Benefits Children