How to Resolve Selective Listening in Toddlers
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Two years is the age when children involuntarily learn turning down parents’ calls and instructions, and prioritizing tasks according to their choice. But does that mean selective hearing in toddlers is worrisome? No, it’s a routine growth aspect. You just need to employ a few tricks to make yourself heard!
Have you noticed lately that your 25-month-old toddler isn’t heeding instructions? Don’t panic; this signals the advancement of a new and very human trait– selective hearing. Your child is not alone in this either. Many toddlers become selective listeners at this age. Instead of scolding her for her ‘defiance’ and stubborn refusal to answer your calls, learn how to make your baby pay attention.
Can Toddlers Have Selective Hearing and Why?
Selective listening occurs when a toddler is selective to what he chooses to hear or listen to. Child psychology experts say that 25-month-old toddlers can’t be expected to be good listeners because their attention span is limited. They cannot focus on an activity for more than 3 to 5 minutes. So, it’s perfectly alright if you’re compelled to repeat instructions, physically guide, and even use gestural and verbal clues to make yourself heard.
Reasons that Prompt Toddlers to Listen Selectively
Knowing what selective listening is is just part of the solution. The next step is determining why your toddler chooses to listen only to certain things you say. Here are some of the possible reasons for your child’s selective hearing:
- Do you, at times, get too informative when communicating with your 25-month-old? Check this for getting your toddler to listen. Kids can’t grasp an overload of information at once.
- At this age, your toddler can’t follow anything more than concise, crisp instructions. Complex directions will only confuse her and cause her to tune out what you say. If need be, include physical gestures when communicating something to her.
- The hands and eyes are pivotal in establishing effective and meaningful interactions. Using subtle touches to earn her attention and establishing eye contact when needed are a few things you can do to get her to pay attention.
How to Get Your Toddler to Listen
- Kids quickly learn anything that is fun. The next time you want your child to be at the dining table, why not organise a race to it? She’ll be more inclined to get there!
- By 25 months, your toddler should be listening to and identifying different sounds like tweeting birds and flowing water. A listening exercise for toddlers that you can try is to take her to a park and prompt her to listen to the birds chirping, a dog barking, or the wind whistling through the trees.
- Proper communication can also happen through whispering. Use whispers as often as you can, or whenever you feel your kid isn’t paying attention. You’ll soon notice that she’ll stop what she’s doing and appear more attentive to your whispering.
Choosing what to listen to is not due to any selective hearing disorder. However, if you do feel that your child could have a problem with her hearing, do consult a doctor. In the meantime, apply the suggestions above and get your toddler to learn to pay attention better.
If you’ve discovered interesting exercises to deal with selective hearing in 25-month-old tots, share them with us!
