When I call my kids’ names I am met
with silence. My voice no longer makes their ears turn on. In fact it might do
the complete opposite! They don’t hear me over the TV show or playing or
reading books. My voice has lost some power.
Their lack of response makes me unsure
if my directions are going to be followed. Often, they leave the room so I have
a false sense of certainty that they are following directions. When they return
30 seconds later it becomes obvious they heard the noise of my voice but not
the words.
It’s time to take the power back.
We need to get their attention before
we start giving them tasks. We need to allow them to stop what they are doing
so they can listen. Kids don’t multitask – they cannot think or play and take
in extra information. Parents cannot remain patient and kind when completely
ignored.
I am always surprised when visiting my
kids’ classrooms at how the teachers keep things quiet and calm. How they
aren’t yelling over the volume of the kids and how the kids turn their heads
and listen.
In an interview with The New York
Times, Robert Abramson, director of the Dalcroze Institute in Manhattan, says:
”When children can’t
stop talking, teachers wind up screaming. You make a game of it, so children
have to listen, move, balance, watch … combining established rhythm and
movement techniques … help students learn to pay attention.”
So, I began to use a simple technique
heard in many schools – a rhythmic clap that my kids have to repeat. This is
acknowledgement that they know I am asking for their attention. It is an
audible signal to stop what they are doing. It is clear and direct. It doesn’t
make me want to scream and yell in frustration!
SOURCE: mother.ly
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