As a teacher, I have a front row seat to children misbehaving. Most of the time, I am in no way judging other parents. Kids get tired, they get sick, they have a bad day and they throw a fit or decide not to listen. It happens. But one thing that does bother me is when a kid doesn’t listen and you can tell this isn’t a one-off or a bad day. It is something that consistently happens.

I’ll give you a hint: as someone who works with kids, we can tell the difference. We can tell when a parent is embarrassed and just trying to get their kid out without losing their cool. We can also tell when a parent lets their kid have total control over everything.

(Make sure you check out my post of tips for dealing with stubborn toddlers. These can come in super helpful when dealing with a non-listening toddler! You should also check out my ebook about how to give a toddler choices. Giving a toddler choices can help significantly cut down on tantrums. )

Let me tell you something: That doesn’t have to be the case. You can take back control by getting your child to listen, specifically when you are out and about. I’m not talking about blind obedience. I’m not saying your child will listen 100% of the time. I’m just saying your child needs to understand that you are the adult and what you say goes. Here are five ways to get your child to listen.