As children grow, it can get difficult for you (as parents) to get your kids to listen to you. Most toddlers do exhibit certain behavior like hitting, talking back, throwing things, saying certain offensive words, etc. And that’s where you really wish that a ‘no’ would actually mean ‘no’ to the child.
Every parent wants their children to be obedient and pick up good manners such as being polite, listen to elders, use appropriate and amiable language, do small acts of kindness, gratitude to others, etc. Not only will having such qualities showcase your kids in a very admirable light, it will also have a positive impact on their personality.
Clarence Thomas once said, “Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.”
However, if things have not been working for you, here are a few simple steps that will teach your child who the boss is.
- Bend down to their height, look them in the eye, and give them a warning (not to repeat certain things). This is not to intimidate them but to take you seriously. So get down to their level and talk to them.
- If you want your kids to listen to you, make sure you’re also a good listener. Make it a habit to listen to your child like adults, without interrupting. You need to model good behavior if you’re expecting the same from them.
- For bad behavior, make your child sit in the corner/the chair/the step (goes in timeout), and warn him/her every-time he/she does a mistake, there’s going to be a negative consequence.
The time out area should not be a place where the kids sleep, relax, or play. It should be an area that the child has no interest in. The allotted time for a time out is 1 minute per year of the child’s age (so you’ll need a timer).
Just walk away and start doing things that you were doing prior to putting him or her in timeout. Do not say anything else to them. Instead of focusing on changing their behavior, they’re focusing on getting out of timeout and/or getting you to talk to them.
Once the child has sat there for the full amount of time, explain to them why they were in timeout, and then ask for an apology. - You just cannot give negative feedbacks to your toddler all the time. Even adults don’t like it.
Your child is more likely to listen to you if you also notice their good behavior and comment on it. saying things like ‘Good job” or “I’m proud of you” will give your toddler plenty of positive reinforcement. You need to catch your child doing/being good as well.
Funtoyworld is a family-managed website with me (Ben), and my wife doing most of the work. We are proud parents of two wonderful kids and love reviewing toys. We have a firm but friendly “democratic parenting” style and offer several practical suggestions backed by extensive research. Our own experience with raising two children prompted us to share our knowledge. Read more.
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