Whisper to Capture Your Child’s Attention

Are you looking for an easy way to get your child’s attention?

Sometimes parents describe kids as selective listeners. “He never listens to me!”

Consider why:

1. Presentation is everything. Does your child want to listen to more nagging and yelling?
2. They have to become selective to cope with the barrage of noise surrounding them. Most of the noise is from us, the parents. We are busy giving well-intended directions, redirection, corrections, and lessons.

Meanwhile the child is left to decipher what is really important in all of this noise.

While yelling often gets a child’s attention, it’s an aggressive form of parenting. I regret every time that I have resorted to yelling. It saddens me to see my child look at me with fear or astonishment.

Whispering is as effective as yelling for grabbing my kid’s attention and a lot less disturbing.

It even works in a classroom filled with 3-6 year olds. Sitting at circle with 22 preschoolers is sometimes like herding kittens. When their voices become loud or their attention wanders, some teachers choose to yell, threaten, or punish. I find it more effective to simply whisper.

The children quickly become quiet and re-focus their attention on me. Same is true with my own kids. When their attention or interest is waning in the middle of an activity, I speak very quietly to regain their attention and interest. Remember, presentation is everything. Bring excitement and intrigue to what you are about to say.

You may have read the NY Times article, For Some Parents, Shouting is the New Spanking. I look forward to a time when Whispering is the New Shouting.

It works like a charm. . . if you don’t overdo it.