E20: Get Kids to Listen

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Getting kids out the door on time with everything they need is draining for Moms and an age-old question of how to “get these munchkins to listen to our words.”  Erin and Sarah talk about who is to “blame” for the frustrations of not listening to each other. “This is soul searching right now.  This is totally calling me out right now y’all because I want them to listening to me, but I don’t think I’m doing it right.”-Erin

0:01:21

Other than pulling out the “Dad voice,” what tips are there for getting kids to hear us?  Tip #1 to get kids to listen to us: go to them.  See what the kids are actually doing and have patience if they are immersed in focus.

0:04:55

Tip #2: take in kids feelings and words for two-way communication to understand what the kids are hearing vs. what you are saying.  Mom’s voices have turned into white noise of nagging and kids can become desensitized to yelling.  The power of silence is a Mom’s secret weapon sometimes.

0:06:54

Tip #3: ask kids to do something more vs ordering them to do everything.  We have conversations with our friends talking about what everyone needs/wants to do, Moms can translate that to kids to work together.  Grace and patience are a Mom’s best friend, but aren’t the easiest skills to practice.

0:09:56

Tip #4: say yes more--or maybe-ish. Get clever about our words and solutions instead of demanding.

21:06

Tip #5: Tell the kids why you need them to do something and help them understand at their level why what you are saying is reasonable and necessary.

0:15:03

Tip #5 Get out of your comfort zone to connect with kids, even if that comes back to silly poop talk for a few minutes.  Let go of the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses and focus on keeping up with how your kids respond best.

23:11

What’s the timeliness in this moment?  Is there a chance to find even a minute of patience to find the right time to talk to kids and see action?

Other episodes mentioned in this episode:

E7: The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart-A Book Review-Making Education Magical

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Who we are:

Erin and Sarah are moms who enjoy each other’s unique cul-de-sac “mom perspectives” so much they want to share their thoughtful and sassy ponderings with other moms around the world.  Collectively they are moms to 4 school-aged kids, and world travelers in their journeys as United States Marine Corps spouses. Erin is a homeschooling mama of three munchkins that loves running (slower than most people walk), traveling, and can recite the alphabet backwards while opening a bottle of wine. Sarah is a curious minded mama of one small human, enjoys writing, takes forever to read a book for leisure, and can order McDonald's at a Japanese and German drive through.

Music from YouTube Audio Library [Aka YAL]

Music provided by RFM: https://youtu.be/Ia6NYheR8Eo