Mom explains why many kids don't listen until they are yelled at: 'If you ask nicely...'

A woman on TikTok, Tia Slightham (@parentingcoach), who often shares useful parenting tips with her followers, has gone viral for her honest take on stubborn kids, who only seem to listen to their parents when they get yelled at. Her thoughtful insight strikes a chord with thousands of parents online, sparking an interesting conversation about parenting struggles. Slightham doesn’t just talk about children refusing to listen to their parents at times. She also discusses how to change that undesirable behavior for good.

As the video begins, Slightham asks, “Do you want to know why your kids don’t listen until you yell and lose your sh*t?” Emphasizing the importance of setting the right boundaries with children from an early age, she says, “Kids will continue to do what works, and they are born needing to push boundaries until boundaries are found.” The expert added, “If you ask nicely, you give reminders, you nag, and then you finally yell and lose your sh*t, they [kids] learn that they don’t need to listen when you ask the first time.”

Further in the video clip, Slightham also suggests a way to overcome this issue. She says that the key to avoiding yelling is to set ‘concrete, clear, and consistent boundaries.’ The parenting coach claims that if you want your child’s behavior to change, it starts with changing your parenting method. People in the comment section of the video shared their opinions on the expert's take, with others revealing the strategies they use on their children. One TikTok user, @allisonmise, commented, “Need this! This two-year-old does not listen to me whatsoever. Even at the point where I had raised my voice, he still doesn’t listen. He laughs.”

One parent, @vickyarana, who appears to have set clear boundaries with their children, wrote, “I never yelled to my kids when they were young, now they are 21 and 15, and we have a beautiful relationship.” Similarly, @jodieledene said, “The struggle is real! I set clear expectations day after day, and my son still refuses until there are anger and consequences.” @katherinexcontreras shared her strategy, “I got tired of yelling. I give them a choice. If you do this, 'X' will happen. If you do this, 'Y' will happen. Your choice.” Slightham also has a master’s degree in early childhood education and is trained in positive discipline.

If you're a parent struggling with your child's unreasonable reactions and tantrums, Slightham has created a 12-week online program called ‘The Parenting With Purpose Method’ to help you stay calm while raising your kids. Another perfect example of everyday parenting struggles comes from TikToker Sacha Trigg (@sachalouisetrigg), who is popular for navigating her life with a stubborn child on camera. In a video that Trigg shared, she is seen urging her daughter to wear a coat in the chilly weather, but the little one refuses to listen to her. In the comment section, several other parents came forward to share similar experiences they've had with their kids.