Want to get your PRESCHOOLER to LISTEN? Learn HOW from EXPERTS!

“My child zones out in the middle of any conversation!”

“Sirf wahi sunta hai jo use sunna hota hai!”

“My child doesn’t listen to me! What should I do?”

If you are one such parent who can relate to these comments and don’t know how to get your child to listen, this blog is for you! To start with: DON’T WORRY. We all have moments when trying to get a child’s attention feels like talking to a brick wall.

At home, this inability to listen can be infuriating and at preschool, it can get in the way of their learning.

The experienced educators at the best preschool in Bopal, Ahmedabad understand that this inability to listen can get in the way of a child’s learning. Here are some tips and secrets straight from the expert’s desk:

How parents can nurture good listening skills

At the best preschool in Ahmedabad, every teacher is constantly working on developing a child’s listening skills through different activities, but there are things that parents can do at home to help them even more:

1) Be a good listener yourself:

For young children everything starts and ends with their parents. You might not have noticed but every child observes and analyses their parents and unconsciously integrates the parent’s habits into themselves. They may copy gestures or internalize words learned from their parents. Children can easily tell if their parents are being attentive or not by the way parents reply or not to their words.

Hence, as parents, try setting a good example by showing children how to be a good listener by being one. Keep your phone aside or stay away from any kind of distraction and show your interest. Maintain eye contact, stop what you are doing and show your children that they have your undivided attention. No matter how irrelevant you find your child’s talk, make sure to respond and react to them.

Wait there’s more! It’s not just with your child, model positive listening skills with other people too, especially when your kids are around.

2) Be very clear while giving tasks

According to child experts, a reasonable attention span to expect of a child is two to three minutes per year of their age. That means, 2 years old would have an attention span of four to six minutes, 4 years old would have eight to 12 minutes, and so on. That is why it is very important to avoid over-explaining to young children. Moreover, they struggle to multi-task, so rather than expecting them to follow a long list of instructions, be short and crisp while talking to them.

For instance, rather than telling your children, “Brush your teeth, take a bath, comb your hair, pack your bag, wear your shoes.” Break it down for them. Give them one or two tasks at a time. Tell what’s expected of them and ask them to repeat everything you’ve said to make sure that they are listening and understanding everything.

Always remember, the way you talk also matters, so don’t just shout your request from the kitchen or the living room. Maintain eye contact while talking to them.

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Day Care Experts on Delayed Child Development

Developments, such as physical, emotional, social, and cognitive, occur throughout the lifespan of a human being. These developments occur independently at times while going hand in hand sometimes. However, in some young children, some of these developments take place a little late.

In this post, our psychologists and expert educators at Little Wings Preschool, one of the best day care centre in South Bopal, Ahmedabad, share why this kind of delayed development happens in a child, and how to resolve it.

Developmental Delay!

According to data, developmental delay is very common in childhood, as it occurs in 10% to 15% of preschool children. But what exactly is it?

When young children are comparatively slower to develop physical, emotional, social, and communication skills than is expected, it’s called developmental delay. These skills may be as basic as taking the first step or learning how to wave a good bye. These delays show up in the way children communicate, think and learn, move or even play with others. And when a child shows delay in more than two areas of development, it is known as global developmental delay.

Is developmental delay & developmental disability the same?

Developmental delay is short term but sometimes it might be the first sign of a lifelong problem. Long-term developmental delays are known as developmental disabilities. Learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, all the above fall under developmental disabilities.

Children can outgrow or catch up on developmental delays. However, developmental disabilities are lifelong, although people can still overcome these disabilities later in life and thrive. Conditions that can cause developmental disabilities include Down syndrome, autism, foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and brain injuries.

Sometimes it’s hard to determine if a young child has a developmental delay or a disability. Even when it’s not clear about what’s causing the delay, early intervention can often help children catch up.

The causes…

Some developmental delays have an identifiable cause. But in many cases, the cause is not clear. Factors that may lead to short-term developmental delays in children include physical illness, long periods in hospital, genetic or hereditary conditions like Down syndrome, any serious infections, food deprivation etc. These can occur before a child is born, during the birthing process, and after birth as well. Exposure to certain toxic substances like prenatal alcohol exposure or premature birth can also be a cause.

The types…

1) Cognitive delay or delay in learning

Cognitive skills are skills used by the brain to think, read, learn, solve problems, and remember. A delay in cognitive skills may affect a child’s intellectual functioning, and that can cause learning difficulties at school and otherwise. This is why Little Wings, the best day care centre in South Bopal, Ahmedabad, has experts on campus to help children facing any such issues.

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