Managing Your Child's Behavior

Managing your child’s behavior is hands down one of the most difficult challenges of parenting. Who of us hasn’t been caught off guard by the grocery store tantrum or been called upon to mediate a neighborhood (or sibling) disagreement. Sometimes, our children will go through phases and stages that we’ll need to get a handle on, while other times the surprise us with a sudden behavioral issue. This article will explore a five-step process for gaining control and managing your child’s behavior.

1. Assess the Situation - The first step is to assess the situation and try to make a decision about what is going on. Consider your child’s motivation, the circumstance, who else is involved, etc. Is your child throwing a fit a the library because he is overtired and has just eaten two donuts at grandma’s house? By taking a quick snapshot of all the factors involved and contributing to a behavior issue, you’ll be informed and ready to move onto a solution.

2. Identify - Identify exactly what the behavior issue or situation you need to change and address. While step one helped you gain an understanding of the situation, the second step is to narrow in and identify exactly what needs to be changed. If safety is the number one issue, then you’ll need to act fast and solve the secondary concerns later. By identifying what needs to be addressed, you can focus your energy and problem-solving skills.