It can be frustrating when your kid can’t seem to listen to anything you say and so, you end up repeating yourself every single time. Surely, parents encountering this a lot are tired of getting typical responses like “What?” and “Huh?”.
If it is frequently happening, maybe your kid has a problem with his or her listening skills. Lucky for you, I’ll be talking about why your kid can’t listen to you and what you can do to help them improve their listening skills.
Why is active listening important?
Active listening is a process wherein you are engaged and being mindful. It’s important for kids to have active listening skills because they’re going to need it in school to be able to pay more attention.
They said body language speaks volumes. And so, when you’re an active listener, your body language shows how prepared you are and that you’re not someone who easily turns away.
It's an important skill that develops over time. In fact, there are younger kids who aren’t good listeners initially but because they get to engage with their parents and other people and they pay attention to what others do, their active listening skills improve. However, if they see you always on your phone and are distracted, there is a possibility that they’ll copy what you do.
Why do kids struggle with listening?
There are many reasons as to why your kids struggle with listening. I think the biggest factor interfering with your kid’s attention and listening skills is their clinical issue and if you don’t know whether or not your kid has a behavior problem or mental health illness, it’s best for you to consult with a mental health professional. If your kid has a clinical condition like ADHD, executive dysfunction, autism, anxiety, depression, OCD, or others, it’s likely that they struggle with listening as their heads are filled with worried thoughts causing them to not be present when you’re talking to them.
When your kid isn’t attentive, there’s a delay in processing information. Through our Brain Behavior Reset Program, we get to address this issue by transforming the dysregulated brain into its regulated state. We combine tools and resources like neurofeedback, biofeedback, PEMF, proper diet and healthy lifestyle to boost the brain.
Give them a moment to process.
There can also be cases where kids can’t hear because of tinnitus from tick borne infections. Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in the ears. I’ve encountered a case like this before and it took us a long time to figure it out until the kid had the language to do that.
What we should do is to give kids a bit of time or some sort of delay for them to process everything first, usually 3 to 5 seconds. It also helps to have them repeat what you said so there’s a reassurance that they understood you properly.
Mindfulness-based listening techniques.
To further improve your kid’s listening skills, it’s best for them to engage in mindfulness-based activities and for you to make use of mindfulness-based listening techniques.
As simple as doing nature walks can actually deepen one’s listening skills because we get to slow down. It’s necessary for you and your kids to get out there and be mindful while appreciating nature rather than be on your gadgets. Other activities including breathwork and biofeedback can also amplify one’s listening skills.
To learn more about how to calm and power up your kid’s brain, you can join our Natural Solutions Group on Facebook
Links and Resources:
➡️ Join our FREE Natural Parenting Community to receive science-backed resources for your child and family. Join here.
➡️ Get help from Dr. Roseann and her team. Apply here.
➡️ “Is it ADHD or something else?” Take the quiz.
