One of the most frustrating things about being a parent, in my opinion, is the why that kids can somehow hear a bag of chips opening 3 counties away, but they can’t seem to hear me when I’m yelling in their ears about super being ready. This is how it is with ALL of my kids, but my oldest toddler, well, she seems to have this down to a science. But, too bad for her, this mommy is a ninja-level parent…this mommy has 3 Easy Hacks to Get Toddlers to Listen and Pay Attention. Ha! Take that, you hard-headed toddler, you! LOL!
3 Easy Hacks to Get Toddlers to Listen and Pay Attention
- Get Eye-Level. This is something I’ve seen all over the news lately, but I’ve heard before (it’s not like Prince William and Princess Kate really invented this, just so you know), but kneeling down and getting your face to be of equal height as your toddlers? Makes all the difference in the world when you really want them to hear what you’re saying.
- Whisper. Yeah–we all know you don’t yell. But also, I found that you should one-up yourself there. Drop that voice to a whisper and little ears will perk-up, trying to work harder to catch what you’re saying. This works when my kids are being too loud, too. I just do these three steps and all the screaming and running around slows so they can hear me. LOL!
- Smile. Even if the situation is tense, a smile can re-engage a toddler in a split second. They will make eye contact and seek to continue to please you by listening. But, you have to be eye-level for this to work…and yelling while smiling isn’t as easy as it might sound. So, it’s like a trifecta…LOL!
One of my favorite reads recently was Helpful Phrases. Really helped me regain a moment or two of sanity when conversing with my non-rational-mini-me.
And, let me tell you, these easy, actionable phrases (which I can’t reveal on pain of death–heh), are so helpful for talking to my 14 year old, too, it’s ridiculous–it’s not just toddlers we’re talking about here! LOL! I almost feel like my ninja-mommy card should be revoked for not having thought of these myself. Almost. Not quite. I’m keeping the card, dangit!
Just go grab the book while it still warm on the shelf and leave my ninja-mommy card alone.
Once you’re done reading Helpful Phrases, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these 3 Easy Hacks to Get Toddlers to Listen and Pay Attention. If you want, you can just drop me a line in the comments below or hit me up on Facebook. I’d love to hear from you either way!
