Hello!

It’s very hard to get my son to listen to me. I know he’s 3 and he’s at that age but even the childcare educator did something to me about it.
I say his name and try to get down to his level but it’s still really hard. Any tips would be appreciated


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  • If possible, make eye contact before you start talking. But honestly, this is partly an age thing. The child care educators don’t always get it right, so don’t worry too much.


  • I wish i knew the answer to this question. My daughter copies all the bad behavior my 5 year old sets. Her tantrums and stubbornness is so much lately. Nothing has been working except the odd reward every now and then.


  • Hopefully its just a phase, all the best.


  • If you find out, please let me know! My boy, 3, is stubborn and head strong! Sometimes I forget that he has his own opinions and ideas. So when I actually take the time and listen to him, we tend to have a bit better time of it! Though one day recently I was trying to tell him something but he was too caught up in what he wanted so we both ended up trying to make sure we were heard. I asked him are you listening, to which he replied he was. So I asked if he was listening to me or himself? And he responded with himself. Ts difficult but it does take a lot of give and take!


  • Yes try to go on his level. Listen and don’t make it a battle of will. It really helps to distract and redirect.
    Example: This morning my youngest wanted to go yet again upstairs. I didn’t want her to go upstairs because all she does is messing up the bedrooms or take a bath with her clothes on. So I ask to stay downstairs, but she doesn’t listen. Instead of repeating myself i distract and redirect. I walk up with a mountain of dirty wash and ask if she wants to help me putting it in the washing machine and help me to turn it on. She responds with enthusiasm, feeling totally important and forgets about wanting to go upstairs.
    Another thing I think is very important is instead of focusing on the many times your son may not listen, focus on the times he does listen and make sure you praise him for that every time again.


  • Duct tape them to a chair. Its really the only option.


  • I agree it’s an age thing. They’re developing their own personality and discover their will. Listening and going on his level is important, stay calm and don’t go into a battle of wills. Distracting and redirecting can be great tools to get him to listen.


  • three year olds don’t listen, they have discovered a bit of independence and they are going to run with it. Try not saying stop or no but turning it into something they like, if my son is driving me up the wall i will go and start packing his toys up then all of a sudden he wnt to play with all those toys and i get some peace lol. It is a stage and as long as you hold your ground and don’t back down on what you have said, it will pass, we call the threenagers


  • I am at the same point with my daughter. For her it’s pure stubbornness, but I’m always told it’s the age and you just need to find other ways to get their attention. At the moment if my daughter chooses to ignore me I just say to her ok, if you ignore mummy, mummy will ignore you when you want something. Usually I get an instant reaction from that.
    Not to say that I would ignore her if she wanted something but to teach her the importance of listening.


  • Agree to the, have you checked their hearing? Question.
    Otherwise, my daughter is super stubborn and won’t listen sometimes and if I put her in her room, she eventually decided to listen.


  • You might have to start some sort of reward chart and see if that helps. Every time he listens make a big positive deal out of it. Or maybe he simply needs his hearing checked?


  • You would be very rich if you had the answer but I agree see if there is a physical reason like he has trouble hearing,


  • How do you stop the wind from blowing?
    How do you stop the rain from falling?
    Have you had his hearing tested? It may be a case of him not hearing you more then not listening to you


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