Help your child learn to be a better listener

[MeLisa Turcott Strongheart]

Parents; Have you ever found yourself wishing that your son or daughter listened better?  Do you feel that just a slight improvement in their listening skills would make a huge difference in their potential?

Getting your child to absorb 100% of what you’re telling them is a challenge that many parents and teachers face. Did you ever wonder…”Boy I hope he listens in school better than he does at home!”

If your son or daughter could improve their listening comprehension just 10% it would have a profound impact on them don’t you agree?  So here’s what you can do…

First understand that your child is forced to deal with dozens of external distractions during the course of the day; TV, radio, classmates, computers, and the list goes on.  These external distractions combined with your child’s internal distractions, (the inability to control one’s thought process) cause most listening problems.

Make your child aware of these two distractions, (internal and external)  teach him the difference between each, then get him to give you examples of when each one affected his ability to listen.  Just this knowledge will make him a better listener.

Teach your child the importance of focusing his eyes, ears, mind, and body.  Focusing all four will engage him totally in the listening process.  Make sure your child knows that when it comes time to listen the first thing he has to do is look at the person talking in the eyes. 

When his eyes are focused he could then tune in his ears to the message and process it in his mind.  Now you’re getting somewhere!

Finally, teach him about standing or sitting up straight when listening, if the body is out of focus or slouched the message will not be clearly understood.  Maybe you could hold off on delivering your message until his body is focused and up-right.

Becoming aware of these simple but effective concepts will go a long way toward helping your child be a more focused listener.  Try them out and see how they work!