by Michelle Donaghey
1. "Think before you speak." Sometimes as adults we ask our children to do things before we think of what we are doing or what the consequences are. Instead of just yelling at your kids for everyone to get ready to go out to eat and then taking another 15 minutes to find your car keys, find the keys first. Before you ask them to clean their rooms and let them get away with not doing so for days, decide exactly how long you will allow them to stay dirty. These kinds of things help "create kids who have selective hearing" says Pantley.
Children don’t listen unless they know it will impact them in some way. Why should they? We all have to have a reason to listen!" adds child psychologist, Susan Quinn.
"Children don’t listen unless they know it will impact them in some way. Why should they? We all have to have a reason to listen!" adds Susan Quinn, MA, Marriage and Family Therapist.
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3. "CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS. Convey authority." "Pantley notes that when you, as a parent, "lose your temper and raise your voice" logically you think that "your kids will pay closer attention to you." But the opposite is actually true as kids "key in on your anger." Instead of yelling "keep your voice even and calm and your words clear and specific."
Being physically close, eye-to-eye not only helps you make a point better but also helps you observe whether your child is looking at you and listening or looking at the ceiling, laughing, talking under his or her breath at siblings or friends or sighing at your requests.
Pantley urges parents to post a reminder of the steps she suggests at home (See box.) to practice their skills in getting their children to listen. "You need to remind yourself of what you are trying to do and to keep your goals fresh in your mind…It’s a tough job, but with a few new skills and enough practice you will be successful."
Be unified, set limits
"Parents need to be unified in what they expect and what they convey to their children. It’s always important to have a common, unified front," says Paul Gettinger, a family physician who is also the father of five young children.
"If parents set AND ENFORCE limits, children will be interested in listening because we as people always listen to what is going to affect our lives. The problem I sometimes find and what I try to educated parents with is that limits are loving and they must be enforced because they contain and teach the child what to expect. Limits represent the real world and so they (children) have to learn them to exist in society," notes Quinn.
Susan Smith, a musician and mother of six children ages 2 through 12 says one of the biggest problems with parents keeping their children in line is "lack of direction. With our kids, we have learned that you have to decide as an adult what you want and expect and to tell them the rules."
Remember, you are not their friend, you are their parent!
"Children need the boundaries. Being a "best friend" to a child is great but at some point I think that the respect issue or lack of respect comes into play. When you are a parent and set boundaries and consequences as well as discipline, you can’t be the best friend also. A best friend is a peer that understands and feels a kinship to you. Being a "best friend" is not effective in most situations because the child becomes confused as to what role the parent is playing in their lives and will become less likely to follow the rules or accept the consequences to their actions," says Snead.
All parents are capable
"Parents are dedicated in helping children grow up strong. Most of all, parents have a built-in motivation to do what’s best for their child. By building on these kinds of strengths, parents can develop better who is in charge of their lives and succeed," says the US Department of Health and Human Services, SAMSA, National Mental Health Information Center.
– Think first.
– Be specific.
– Control Emotions.
– Convey authority.
– Eye-to-eye.
Biography
Michelle Donaghey is a freelance writer and mother of two boys, Chris and Patrick, who are her inspiration. She lives in Bremen, Indiana just south of South Bend, home of Notre Dame. When she isn’t writing, Michelle can be found in her perennial flower garden or working on small home improvement projects. Michelle has written for parenting publications including Metro Kids, Atlanta Parent,Dallas Child, Great Lakes Family, Family Times and Space Coast Parent and websites including iparenting.com.
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