How to Get Your Kids to Listen to You

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Copyright Betty Udesen / Pear Press

Have you ever felt like you're talking and talking, saying the same thing*over*and over, and just being flat-out ignored?

This happened to me recently. My daughter's*shorts got muddy (we were camping), and I'd encouraged her to wash them in the water spigot (an object*of immense fascination). As she began, I could tell she needed to pee. Like many 3-year-olds, she'll do a potty dance 'til the cows come home before admitting she has to go.

"Sweetie, why don't you go to the bathroom," I said. "You can wash your shorts after that."

She continued washing her shorts. Meanwhile, she was doing that*butt-way-back*marching-slowly-in-place crouch thing.

"I can see you need to go potty," I said. "Let's*go to the bathroom -- it's right here. And then we'll come back to finish washing your shorts."

She continued washing her shorts.

"Little G!" I said, coming closer. "Potty first. Shorts later."

"OH!" she exclaimed, as though suddenly*enlightened. "Potty first! Shorts later!"

And she happily ran off to the bathroom.

What the...? I thought. My daughter is unusually*articulate. She started*speaking in sentences at*17 months old. She*could recite lengthy*books before age 3.*So I kind of thought it*didn't apply to her, the idea that when*parents*talk too much, kids mainly hear "Blah blah blah."

"Talk to your baby -- a lot" is a key tip in my book,*Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science. As a parent, I really took it to heart. Maybe that's why*I've*never*paused to*define "talking too much."

• Bonus PDF: Get the 3 best ways to boost baby's language skills

But the tip is actually about creating a conversation with your baby about the world she's encountering. It doesn't refer to*making requests. And it*doesn't excuse a bunch of*filler words.

Well, my daughter just schooled me on filler words. Lesson learned.

Care to join me in trying this out this week?*When you make a*request, move in close, get down at eye*level, and use very few*words. (And don't end with*"OK?")*Let me know what happens. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.












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