{"id":11588,"date":"2026-08-26T08:18:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T08:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/?p=11588"},"modified":"2026-08-26T08:18:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T08:18:04","slug":"child-psychologist-reveals-the-6-magic-phrases-that-make-kids-listen-to-their-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/?p=11588","title":{"rendered":"Child psychologist reveals the 6 \u2018magic phrases\u2019 that make kids listen to their parents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWhen a child feels safe, they can actually hear you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it\u2019s generational, and sometimes it\u2019s just a bit of good old-fashioned authority rebellion, but getting kids to really \u201clisten\u201d to their parents in a way that creates a positive long-term effect can be tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where child psychologist Reem Raouda\u2019s hours of research come in handy. In an article for CNBC\u2019s Make It, Raouda, also a mother and therapist, reveals that after studying \u201cover 200 parent-child relationships,\u201d a common theme for a good outcome is for the child to feel connected and safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raouda reveals six phrases she has personally seen make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe you.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Validation is a huge factor in parental relationships. She writes, \u201cBelief defuses shame and creates safety. When a child feels safe, they can actually hear you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She gives the example of spilling juice. If a child spills something, it\u2019s immediately reassuring for them to know their parent doesn\u2019t blame or shame them. And if the child says they didn\u2019t do it on purpose, saying \u201cI believe you\u201d helps establish respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example could be, \u201cI just forgot to do my homework.\u201d A potential answer? \u201cI believe you! We all forget sometimes. Better late than never.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s figure this out together.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When a child is merely following orders from a parent, they don\u2019t often feel a teamwork bond. Raouda refers to it as a \u201cstandoff\u201d when a chore is barked at a child, rather than presenting it as a task for the greater good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If, for example, a kid is being asked to clean their room and seems oppositional to the idea, rather than punishing\u2014come up with a fun plan to clean together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can feel this. I\u2019m right here.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The idea here is to make sure the child knows their emotions are completely valid. If they have a reaction to something that upsets them, don\u2019t merely tell them to toughen up. Instead, let them know it\u2019s safe to feel it and that their parent will stay right by their side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristen Weir\u00a0writes for the\u00a0American Psychological Association\u00a0that acknowledging feelings with your child early on can yield healthy benefits. \u201cCaregivers can start talking about feelings when their children are still babies. Point out when book or movie characters feel sad, happy, angry, or worried.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m listening. What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For a kid to hear you, they need to feel heard. Raouda notes, \u201cThis simple shift of giving attention before demanding it dissolves resistance. When kids feel understood, they stop trying to push back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adds that trying to get to the root of their emotion or action is key. \u201cNow you\u2019re uncovering the deeper hurt behind the anger, and that\u2019s the part you can address to help repair both the relationship and the behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hear you. I\u2019m on your side.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These words build a bond, which ultimately (hopefully) connects a parent to their child. Knowing they can begin from a place where they\u2019re not alone is a great start to a healthy relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She gives the example of a child hating their homework. If the parent comes at this from a place of understanding and an \u201cI\u2019ve been there\u201d tone, it really helps the child feel supported and understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got you, no matter what.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Again, this phrase builds teamwork. Raouda writes, \u201cMistakes can trigger shame. But when kids hear this phrase, they learn that love isn\u2019t conditional on performance or perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weir also touched on the importance of connection, saying, \u201cStudies show that children who have a secure, trusting relationship with their parents or caregivers have better emotion regulation as toddlers than those whose needs aren\u2019t met by their caregivers. Being consistent and comforting will help you develop a secure attachment with your child.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are other child experts with approaches to getting children to listen. On the\u00a0Cosmic Kids Yoga\u00a0YouTube page, children\u2019s yoga instructor and host Jaime Amor gives her own ideas, including some physical instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet on eye level,\u201d she suggests when possible. She also stressed the importance of \u201cactive listening,\u201d in that you\u2019re giving them your whole attention. Not only does this help put them at ease, it demonstrates \u201cwhat active listening looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Amor recommends asking \u201chow\u201d and \u201cwhat\u201d questions rather than \u201cwhy?\u201d While \u201cwhy\u201d can sound accusatory, \u201chow\u201d and \u201cwhat\u201d help them tell their story. She astutely notes that when conversing with kids, \u201cSpeak in shorter sentences and use language they understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, she notes to give the child choices. \u201cKids tend to listen and cooperate when they get a choice. It gives them a sense of control and autonomy so they feel respect. When kids feel respect, they\u2019ll work hard to reciprocate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"parenting,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On Reddit, an OP asks\u00a0\u201cHow to effectively make my child listen to me.\u201d\u00a0(For context, they share they have children who are two and seven.) One commenter writes, \u201cI\u2019ve found with my 5-year-old, if I do the activity with him that helps. If it\u2019s folding clothes, I fold mine, and he folds his. When it comes to him doing things on his own, I define success and help him visualize it. \u2018I need your help. Can you please help me by putting the dishes away?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another gives this practical advice: \u201d From an early age when they start to be able to understand words, state the reason why you need them to do something. For example, don\u2019t just tell them to tidy up the Legos, tell them to tidy up so their blocks don\u2019t get vacuumed. \u2018You wouldn\u2019t want your Legos to go missing, would you?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this commenter echoes what Raouda said in her piece: \u201cTry giving them options instead of demands. \u2018Would you rather do this now or in 5 minutes. Would you rather put your pants on first or your shirt on first.\u2019 Kids are more likely to be cooperative if they feel like they have some control. Try phrasing things differently. Turn demands into questions like \u201ccan\/will you do this please?\u201d instead of just \u201cdo this.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"grumpy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The thread weaving through all these suggestions is making sure the child feels heard, safe, respected, and supported. It\u2019s not you against them; you\u2019re a team and in you\u2019re in it together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhen a child feels safe, they can actually hear you.\u201d Sometimes it\u2019s generational, and sometimes it\u2019s just a bit of good old-fashioned authority rebellion, but<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/785600044_919483637386577_5968892417642629130_n-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11588","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11588"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11588\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11592,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11588\/revisions\/11592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/humorsidehub.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}