Kids will often ignore your requests for them to shut off the TV, start their chores（杂事）, or do their homework as a way to avoid following your directions. Before you know it, you’ve started to sound like a broken record as you repeatedly ask them to do their assignments, clean their room, or take out the trash. Rather than saying, “Do your chores now,” you’ll be more effective if you set a target time for when the chores have to be completed. So instead of arguing about starting chores, just say, “If chores aren’t done by 4 p.m., here are the consequences.” Then it’s up to your child to complete the chore. Put the ball back in their court. Don’t argue or fight with them, just say, “That’s the way it’s going to be.”It shouldn’t be punitive（惩罚性的）as much as it should be persuasive. “If your chores aren’t done by 4 p.m., then no video game time until chores are done. And if finishing those chores runs into homework time, that’s going to be your loss.”On the other hand, when dealing with homework, keep it very simple. Have a time when homework starts, and at that time, all electronics go off and do not go back on until you see that their homework is done. If your child says they have no homework, then they should use that time to study or read. Either way, there should be a time set aside when the electronics are off.
When a kid wears his iPod or headphones when you’re trying to talk to him, make no bones about it: he is not ignoring you, he is disrespecting you. At that point, everything else should stop until he takes the earplugs out of his ears. Don’t try to communicate with him when he’s wearing headphones —even if he tells you he can hear you, wearing them while you’re talking to him is a sign of disrespect. Parents should be very tough about this kind of thing. Remember, mutual respect becomes more important as children get older.
Listen, I know it can be very frustrating for parents to deal with kids who are ignoring them or other family members. Certainly, it can be very annoying. But here’s the bottom line: the less you take these behaviors personally, the more effectively you’ll be able to deal with the different phases your children will go through as they mature.
1．Based on the passage, it seldom happens that ________.
A．kids turn a deaf ear to their parents’ requests
B．parents’ directions sound like a broken record
C．children are ready to follow their parents’ directions
D．parents are unaware of what they are repeating to their kids
2．You’ll be able to deal with your child more effectively if you ________.
A．let your child know it’s his or her turn to do something
B．give your request by saying “Shut off the TV now”
C．argue and fight with your child
D．allow your child to play a ball in his or her court
3．Which of the following statements is a persuasive one?
A．If you fail to finish today’s homework, you’ll face the music in your teacher’s office.
B．You mustn’t let your chores take up your homework time.
C．If your chores are done by 5 p.m., you’d better do your homework at once.
D．If you have no homework, you should study or read.
4．It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A．you should take off his headphones when you’re trying to have a talk with your child
B．it will make no difference that your kid is wearing his earplugs while talking to you
C．you mustn’t give in to your kid when he shows no sign of respect
D．kids’ purposely talking to you with iPod gives them a sense of power and control
5．The main idea of the passage is ________.
A．that respecting each other is more important than anything else
B．how your kids behave to ignore and disrespect you
C．that children should make choices and decisions on their own
D．how you can deal with your kid’s behavior without losing your cool