Kids don’t misbehave on purpose. Misbehaviour might be a sign that your child is stressed, but punishment isn’t the best solution. As parents, we must aim to provide a warm and nurturing environment to our kids for them to flourish especially during their formative years. But that doesn’t mean that parents are solely responsible for their child’s ability to adapt. Their experiences definitely shape them and go a long way towards stress management.
Hence, it’s important to understand how we as parents can deal with misbehaviour in children more effectively. Here are a few steps that can help you bring a change.
1. Problem recognition
This is the first and perhaps the most important step. Recognising when your children are over-stressed can be really supportive in tackling your child’s temperament.
2. Stress identification
Stressors can come from many sources and may vary from child to child. Identifying what breaks your child down is imperative.
3. Stress elimination
Once the source is known, eliminate the stressful elements from your child’s life. You will be amazed to see the positive changes in your child’s behaviour post that.
4. Adopt calming strategies if need be
Encourage your children to turn to activities that give them relief. It could be a simple breathing exercise or painting, anything that’s enjoyable too.
5. Continued patience
Misbehaviour in most cases is a cry for help that we as parents must respond to with compassion and not punishment. Ignoring is a complete NO. Hence, we need to be calm and patient in our response.
