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Having children is one of the best things you will ever do in your life. It is so rewarding and having your own beautiful family is just a magical experience that you’ll never forget. Yet while it is rewarding, it is also challenging, particularly if your little one is going through a stage where their behavior changes and they’re not as good as they were. All children can have stages like this and it is totally normal, however, you need to try and nip it in the bud if it is happening over a prolonged period of time and just not getting better. If you are looking for some ways to help manage your kids' behavior, we have put together some top tips below that should hopefully help you get them back to their usual selves in no time at all.
Offer rewards for good behavior
When it comes to managing your kids' behavior, one of the things you can do is to offer rewards for them to aim for. By having a target to achieve, it can incentivize them to re-think their behavior and perhaps not act out if they were going to otherwise. There are many ways you can implement these rewards, for example, you could have a rewards chart whereby when they are well-behaved or do certain chores, they get to tick boxes off. Once they have a certain number ticked, they will get a reward. If they act up, they can lose boxes and their rewards will be taken away. By showing the consequences of their actions and what they can receive if they behave well, they should respond accordingly and try to behave or alter their behavior accordingly.
Find out if there is an underlying cause to how they are acting
Kids' behavior can often be determined by how they are feeling. A lot of the time if they are acting up, it’s because of an external factor that is influencing their mood. Talk to your child and see if there is something that is bothering them and making them feel a certain way. If there is someone that they are close to that is ill for example, they might have something such as mesothelioma cancer that they are fighting a mesothelioma cancer lawsuit for, then the child might be worried but not know how to articulate this. Instead of speaking to you about it, they could act up as a way of just not knowing how to manage their emotions. They also might be struggling at school or find they aren’t making friends, or falling out with those they have. This can cause them to feel sad or angry, and again, affect their behavior. Sit down with them and ask if there is anything that is bothering them that they want to talk about and let them know you’re there to help. You could encourage them to write a diary if they don’t want to talk out loud about their feelings.
Be patient and consistent in your approach
As far as parenting goes, one of the most important things you need to do is to be consistent in your approach. If you give them consequences but don’t stick to them, or if you constantly change guidelines and boundaries this can be very confusing for the child and they can continue their realm of bad behavior. By being consistent they will soon learn what is okay for them to do and what isn’t. It’s also important that you are patient and keep in mind that they are learning. Instead of raising your voice and shouting, keep calm and speak to them in a level way. When you shout, they hear noise but don’t take in what you are saying. By speaking directly to them they are more likely to listen to you and follow what you’re telling them.
These are just a few top tips that should help you when it comes to managing your kids' behavior. As mentioned above, all children go through phases when perhaps their behavior isn’t like it normally is. They might be going through changes or experiencing trouble at school, or they could be overtired. No matter the reason, remember to keep your cool and have a steady and consistent approach to them in order to help nip it in the bud. What are some top tips you try when you are looking to manage your kid's behavior? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you.
