Giving Children Instructions

It is great when our children respond to our requests and fulfill a list of tasks or instructions as we go about our own duties fluently and uninterrupted.
It could also be a potential disaster if we assume our children are following our instructions as we picture they would.

Imagine asking your child to  "watch your little brother because he may draw on the wall with those textas"  your older child may watch his little brother as he draws on the wall without thinking twice and he has in effect followed your instruction.
just this morning I was walking my 4yo to kinder and I had to cross the road to get his bag out of the car ( I park the car centrally and walk 1 boy to school and the other to kindi) and I told him to stay on the side of the road while I get his bag. He starts following me across the road and I repeat my instruction "stay on the side of the road". He looks up at me says "which side of the road daddy" Then I remembered the advice I am sharing now and I said " stay on that side of the road near the bush with red flowers until I come back to you."

The sentence sounds a lot longer but it gives a child enough information to follow the instruction without having to guess all the extra processing we keep in our minds and assume others can hear.

Here is a good way to give instructions that will be followed as close to how you want them to;

• Look your child in the eyes when you give the instruction
• never rush an instruction as this is when what you say is not what you are hearing in your head
• talk in your your child's level of language - this will help you form longer more involved sentences
• use longer very descriptive sentences to explain what you want done
• wait for an acknowledgement before you move on and confirm they are clear on the instruction
• praise them for listening well and following the instruction correctly

So next time you ask your 4yo to "check and see if the rabbit cage is open" they may  even close the door on the cage ..... if you ask them to.