1. Make sure to get your child’s attention before you begin giving them the direction. A good rule of thumb is to make sure they are looking at you when listening to a verbal direction. A child friendly cue for gaining attention with eye contact is “show me your eyes!”
2. Break directions down into short, simple sentences using concise language. For example, say “Brush your teeth, put pajamas on, get a book.” vs. “Before you go to the bedroom and pick out a book, go to the bathroom and brush and teeth and then put on your pajamas.”
3. Have your child repeat the directions back to you, before they attempt to complete the direction. This is a quick and easy step to make sure they heard and understood the direction and to fix any misunderstandings from the start!