How To Deal with Behavioral Issues Among Children

One of the biggest challenges of parenting is dealing with children’s difficult or defiant behavior. Regardless of your disciplinary strategies, each child will likely have challenging behaviors.




Factors That Can Influence Your Child’s Behavior

There are several reasons why children have behavioral issues. These may include the following:

Life Changes: Children thrive best in routines and familiar environments. But dealing with life changes like moving houses, welcoming a baby, or changing schools can be difficult at a young age. This could result in behavioral issues.

Seeking Attention: One of the ways children communicate their needs is through their behavior. There may be instances where they need your attention because they’re bored, sleepy, hungry, frustrated, or demanding something.

Your Strong Emotions: Children can notice your negative emotions. For instance, they may misbehave if you’re upset or stressed about something, especially if you’re not giving them attention or meeting their needs.

Ultimately, your children’s behavioral issues don’t mean they’re bad. They may be going through something in school or at home, and the changes in their behavior are one of the effects.

How To Deal With Your Children’s Behavioral Issues

If your children’s behavioral problems are causing stress in the family, it’s vital to manage them effectively. Read on to find out how to deal with their behavioral issues.

1. Stay Calm and Avoid Overreacting

Whenever your child starts acting out, you need to stay calm. Yelling at them will only worsen their aggressive or rebellious behavior and teach them to do the same. Staying calm and composed during these challenging moments can help regulate your child’s emotions and show them how to handle anger and frustration properly.

Meanwhile, if you’re still struggling with your child’s behavior, you may consider getting extra help from counselling clinics. A counselor can try to determine the possible root causes behind your child’s behavioral issues and recommend strategies to help you deal with your child in a cool and collected manner.

2. Avoid Smacking or Hitting Them

Some parents mistakenly think that smacking or hitting their children is an effective way to control their behavior and discipline them. While smacking may stop them from whatever they’re doing, it doesn’t have a lasting and positive effect.

Babies and toddlers don’t understand physical punishment and its connection to their behavior. The only thing they get from it is the pain. And so, the more you hurt them, the more their behavior worsens.

Smacking or hitting is a negative approach. It will only teach children that inflicting pain to control others is acceptable. Instead, use a calm but firm voice to say ‘No.’ Once they stop whatever they’re doing, you may remove your child from the area or distract them with a more appropriate activity.
For instance, two of your kids are in the other room, arguing about their toys. Later on, you hear them hitting each other. Instead of racing to smack them both as a punishment for their behavior, keep calm and say ‘Stop’ firmly and clearly to show your authority.

After you’ve kept them from fighting, separate them and talk to them individually about what they did wrong and why they shouldn’t do it. Doing this will help prevent aggressive behavior and teach them to manage conflicts without resorting to physical violence.

3. Be Consistent with Your Approach

Children behave better when they follow a routine because they learn what to expect and what you expect from them.

That’s why you should be consistent with how you discipline them. If you react to their behavior one way but react differently the next day, it’ll confuse them, and eventually, you’ll fail to correct that specific behavior.

For example, your child keeps scribbling on the walls. To stop them, you tell them to go to their room and continue their ‘artwork’ on proper paper. The next day, they start scribbling on the walls again. But this time, you confiscate their coloring materials and scold them. Although the two approaches have the same goal—to stop them from scribbling on the walls—your child ends up confused about what you really want from them.

Thus, when considering disciplinary strategies for your child, ensure you stick to one approach. If it works on the first try, continue to do it. You must also involve your partner and the rest of the family to have a uniform approach to disciplining your children.

4. Reward Them

Another effective way to deal with your child’s behavioral issues is through a reward system. For example, when they display desired behavior, reward them with praise, hugs, and kisses, or give them some perks.

Ensure you reward them only after they’ve followed your instruction. If you give the reward just so they’ll follow you, it’s more of a bribe than a reward.



Key Takeaway

Dealing with your child’s behavioral problems may not always be easy, but there are ways to address them healthily and effectively. After all, it’s normal for them to be aggressive once in a while. Phases like this may come and go as part of their growing process. Thus, the next time your children act up, go through these tips to help you successfully deal with their behavior and maintain a peaceful household.

2 comments

  1. thank you for your second point. shocks me that people still think thats okay to do these days!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the great parenting tips. Parenting is the most difficult but the most important job We can all use advice and support. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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