Transcription
Welcome back, straight talkers. One of the biggest frustrations as a parent is trying to get your strong-willed toddler to listen. Today, I want to share with you four tips that you can use to get your toddlers to listen while still being playful and having fun.
We all want to get our toddlers to cooperate so that we can go about our days more smoothly. We've all been that parent who has had the embarrassing experience of their toddler going full out Hulk mode while out in public. And when it comes down to it, getting toddlers to listen, it's hard work. So what do we do? We give demands, we make threats, and we resort to lecturing our children when things don't go the way we want them to.
So, this may come as a surprise to you, but it often takes less energy and time for parents to use play to get their little ones to listen than it does to rely on direct orders alone. Play invites cooperation and fun, while demands lead to resistance and refusal. One of my favorite books to recommend to families with little ones is "How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen" by Joanna Faber and Julie King. And today, I'm going to talk about four strategies from this book that I frequently use with my little guy that helps prevent toddler tantrums and encourages cooperation.
So, tip number one for getting toddlers to listen is to pretend that everyday items can talk. Examples include hungry toy bins demanding to be fed blocks during cleanup time, or having lonely shoes beg for a foot to keep them company when trying to put on shoes, or having sippy cups frantically ask to be put in the sink with their friends when clearing the dinner table. You can also ask your child to do something by having puppets or stuffed animals make the request.
The second tip is to give your child an energy pill in the form of a blueberry, raisin, M&M, goldfish, or any other favorite snack when trying to get them to do something. Having that extra strength to clean up, leave the park, or even walk to the next door can be a fun way to engage your little one. If any of these tips have worked for you, or if you've come up with other fun ways that you've gotten your toddler to cooperate and listen, please share in the comments below. Being a toddler mom myself, I would love to hear more about your experiences.
Tip number three includes turning boring tasks or games into challenges. Toddlers love showing off how independent and self-sufficient they are. So, see if they can get dressed in the morning with their eyes closed, or if they can beat the clock when trying to put on pajamas at night. When trying to leave the park, come up with a plan to see if they can avoid lava, quicksand, or sharks. When heading out of the car in the morning, challenge them to hop like a frog, or see if they can fly like birds, or flap their arms like butterflies when trying to get them out of the car and into the grocery store. Instead of demanding them to stop talking or running, challenge them to freeze like a statue, or be quiet as a little mouse.
So, the fourth tip for getting your toddler to listen is changing your voice and taking on the role of different characters. So, if your child has a favorite character on television, try asking them to do something in that voice, or try talking to them like a robot or sports announcer. Some parents will even sing to their kids with a country twang, or put together a little rap song. One of my favorite characters to pretend to be is Silly Mommy, and seeing if pants go over my son's head, or if socks go on his hands while getting them dressed in the morning. Give your child the chance to tell you which character they'd like you to be.
As mentioned earlier, these tips were put together from the book "How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen" by Joanna Faber and Julie King. If you'd like to get a copy, I've included the link below. Head on over to the next video so that you can learn new ways that you can help your child live their best life.