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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting section (baby, pregnancy, family)
Young children can sometimes speak very (too) loudly in certain places such as the library. On Instagram, Céline Syritellis, parenting coach and doctor in language sciences, reveals an original tip to avoid saying “shh” to her children and teach them to modulate the sound of their voice.
All parents have already experienced situations (sometimes embarrassing) where their child speaks very loudly in a place that requires them to lower the volume (library, restaurant, etc.). To avoid repeating “shh” to your child or asking them to speak less loudly (without success), Céline Syritellis, parental coach and doctor of language sciences reveals a tip for children to learn to control their voice.
The game of animal voices
In a video posted on the social network Instagram, Céline Syritellis, parenting coach and doctor of language sciences reveals that young children need to learn two essential concepts:
- Know which voice is suited to which context;
- Know how to modulate their voice.
For this, there is no need to string together “shush” and “speak less loudly!”, the coach gives us an original tip that has proven itself: “I suggest that parents train their children with the play of voices of animals. With farm animals for example, children can practice doing:
- A little mouse voice that we barely hear = the little voice;
- A cat’s voice meowing = conversational voice;
- The voice of the rooster which wakes up the whole barnyard = the loud voice
This fun little game is very popular with children aged 24 months and over. You can practice playing at a favorable time, as an activity for fun. And when the voice level gets out of control, your “hot” interventions should be more effective than “shush”.
The game will therefore consist of switching from one voice to another in order to train the child in a fun way. An original way for him (and for you) to learn to control his voice.
Teaching through games makes learning easier
Although this method may seem far-fetched, it initially allows children to learn in a fun way. However, as we know, young children learn more easily through play. So, you will see the beneficial effects of this type of method when you go out to the library, for example. Your child will probably want to make a mouse voice more than respond to the 20th “shh” that you have asked him to do. Happy to know this game, your child will probably be more motivated to listen to you in a context that requires calm and silence.