5 Ways To Handle Your Child Misbehavior

Wouldn’t it be great if our children were beautifully behaved all the time? For most parents, it would be a dream come true! But let’s come back to reality. Our children are going to misbehave at some point. And much to our discomfort, more often than not, they do so at the most inopportune times and places.

Sometimes, our child’s misbehaviour can be difficult to deal with and can push our buttons the wrong way. Misbehaving can be our child’s way of calling for attention or testing their limits and even testing their relationship with us. However, how we choose to deal with it sets a precedence for their future behaviour.
So what to do when your child misbehaves? Here are 5 ways to handle your child’s misbehaviour.

* Acknowledge the emotions they are feeling

Sometimes children misbehave because they are overcome by emotions. They feel things which they are not able to define and not able to deal with, hence, they act out.
It is important to show them that you understand how they are feeling and you are in it with them to work things out together. This not only helps them calm down, but also opens them to listening to a logical reason.

* Remove them from the situation

If it's a public place, sometimes the best thing to do is to remove yourself and your child from the situation. Dealing with your child’s misbehaviour in a calmer environment is better for both you and your child. Moreover, removing them from the situation not only gives a breather, it also helps you collect your thoughts before you start sorting things out with your child.

* Problem Solve with them

Instead of always fixing the problem or coming up with the solution, it is better if we get more involved and problem solve with our kids. One of the ways of doing it is to ask them what is going on and then lead them on to what they could do differently. If they can't come up with any solutions themselves, you can prompt them or give them ideas and then work alongside them. Reflecting on what worked can help us find more ways of helping them work their problems out.

* Use it as a teaching moment

Almost every time your child misbehaves, it is an opportunity to take it up as a teaching moment. If your child is behaving inappropriately, then you can guide them to change their behaviour to a way which is considered to be appropriate. Sometimes it makes sense to make the teaching happen at the moment and other times, it is best to take it up once everyone has calmed down.

* Step back and see if they need help with something

Sometimes our kids act out because the task at hand is too complex for them, so they get frustrated or annoyed and behave poorly. In those instances, you can guide them by suggesting a next step or show them how to do something.The best way is to show them how it is done and then see how they are performing it.