subject: Kids Don't Hear Or They Just Don't Want To Listen [print this page] Maybe I was the only one, but I don't really think so.
Having more than one child can be like having a hive of bees swarming around your ears on a constant basis - chatter, chatter, chatter - in little high pitched voices.
Squeals can come from delight of surprise, from teasing of siblings, or from "out of nowhere" for apparently no reason at all.
Sometimes these little high pitches get into your head and all you want is some peace and quiet for five minutes. Child chatter keeps the brain waves active and alert to what's going on when you really just want silence.
Monica was the middle child of seven children in her family. I learned a lesson in control from this babysitter, whose parents obviously found a way to get their kids to listen.
My husband and I would hire Monica to watch our four children while we spent the day out in our boat. Sometimes we'd have a rendezvous with other couples, anchoring in a small inlet for a week-end getaway.
My kids loved Monica and would ask for her as their babysitter. They were always glad to see her and always had a hug for her when she went back home.
Consistently, when my husband and I came home from a night or week-end out, the house was orderly; the children were clean and happy.
I asked her one day how she did it, time after time; of dealing with four young children, under the age of six.
Laughing, her reply was, "We play and have a good time while you're gone. When it's time for you to come home, I blow a whistle and line them up. That's when it's time to put everything back together again."
Monica's solution was simple. She had a routine that worked which she learned from her own parents.
This is the importance of dealing with children who don't want to listen. You must have a system; some type of plan you can implement when necessary. They, in turn, may use it with their own kids.
Coaches use whistles to gather their players into a quiet orderly group. Whistles were blown in old town squares as a sign the train was coming in. It's a way of getting attention from one who's in authority.
Now, I don't necessarily advocate the use of whistles to the point of having the parent represent a military official. That's a bit stern. I used to ring a bell to get the attention of my little ones to come in for supper. The neighbors heard it, I'm sure, but no one ever complained because my children had learned to be orderly and obedient (at least to a satisfactory degree).
Often children don't listen because they're just too busy in their heads thinking of all the activities they want to pursue. It's more fun thinking about fun things than listening for your parent's voice!
by: Gail Gupton
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