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• Effectively Communicating Directions to Children

Effectively Communicating Directions to Children

Parents sometimes have problems getting their children to follow directions. They find that when they ask their child to do something, she either ignores them or says she will do it later, but she never follows through. Parents respond by yelling at their child, or punishing her. Children complain that parents nag them, or they start crying from being upset. Parents wind up blaming the child for creating a tense family situation.

The source of these problems is in how the parents communicate with their children. Parents sometimes interrupt children when they are engaged in other activities, such as watching television or playing games, or they try to talk to their children when they are in another room. These ways of communicating contribute to the problem, because the parents are not getting the child’s full attention. Children will not remember what they are supposed to do if they were not paying attention to their parents in the first place.

Parents can learn more effective ways to communicate with their children when they are giving directions. It is very important to ask the child for her attention, and to make eye contact. Once she is paying attention, parents should tell her what they want her to do, then ask her to repeat what they just said so her parents know she understands. If she is doing something, parents should wait until she is finished before getting her attention. As soon as she finishes the task she needs to do, parents should thank her in an affectionate way, and praise her for listening and understanding their directions.