The Most Common Reasons Why Kids Avoid Listening to the Parents

posted on Apr 02, 2020

Have you ever noticed your child selectively listening to what you say? Does he/she sometimes ignore you outright or seems to be completely avoiding listening to you? We, at Gurukul The School, understand that it can be frustrating for parents to see their child not paying attention to them. Every parent wants their children to listen to them, and when it doesn’t happen, they tend to keep on repeating the same to the point of exhaustion. But let us tell you that this habit of repeatedly asking the kids to do the task is what aggravates the problem rather than solving it. So here, in this article today, we have brought forth for you a few smart strategies that the parents can adopt to tackle the child and help resolve the behavior.

Not knowing where their attention is

Parents often talk to children without knowing if they are focused on their words or on something else. When you want your child to listen to you, make sure you are getting their attention, and there are no other distractions for them. When they are busy doing something else, they won’t probably listen. Before you start talking, get their attention first and ask them to stop whatever they are doing and listen to you carefully. Making eye-to-eye contact with the child is essential to let them know that you are talking to them.

Talking in a loud tone

It is a fact that most parents speak up in a loud authoritative tone to make the kids listen and follow the instructions. While some kids might respond to such a voice, not everyone will. Moreover, talking to them in a loud voice can become a habit, and they will not listen if you talk in a softer tone. So, always try to explain your kids clearly in a normal tone and pitch, and avoid shouting at them as far as possible. 

Venting out your frustration

Keeping your cool can be tough. Either out of frustration or anger, people often tend to vent out at their children. Refrain from doing this as it will make your child lose interest in whatever you say. Even when you talk politely, they will not listen to you. Above all, you should never scream or use strong verbal accusations or humiliating bad words to the children to correct or control their behavior.

Lecturing the kids all the time

Children have a very short attention span and being quick and precise will get them to listen. They are smart enough to decide whether to pay attention or not from the way you talk. Hence, let your child know and feel that you are willing to have a two-way conversation, and not lecture, preach or instruct them all the time. Some parents have the habit of talking to their kids, not even knowing if they are listening or not. They keep on repeating things, and kids get tired of this. So, when you want them to listen, keep the conversation interactive and give them a chance to tell their views as well. Or else, they will shut down automatically, and stop listening. 

Compelling the child

Pressuring or compelling the child is not going to work. Always use declarative and firm sentences in a normal tone, and it works best to make them listen. Some children listen when you allow them to take charge and not influence them. Even when you let them take control, make sure you are still the authority and guide them throughout the process. 

We, at Gurukul The School, recognized as the Top School in Ghaziabad, believe that the key to a healthy parent-child relationship is to listen, talk, and educate. Remember, creating a strong bond of communication between parents and children is vital for the emotional, social, and personal development of the latter as a whole. It is hence necessary that you try to understand and listen to your kids just the way you want them to do for you. Sometimes, some wrong, unintentional behaviors on parents’ part make the children behave inappropriately as well. There is hence the need to communicate more often with your children and spend more time with them. Try to understand why your child is behaving in some specific way, and once you understand that, trust us, you will be much closer to your kids, and that will positively aid in their development.