Common Child Behavior Problems And Their Solutions
Did your child show impulsive behavior and ignore your commands? Have you caught him telling lies repeatedly? Is your child disrespectful and hits siblings? Does he resist and scream on screen time limits? If so, don’t panic. Most child behavior issues are common among kids of different age groups. Almost all parents face these problems at some stage of a child’s development. The way you respond to your kids’ misbehavior matters greatly in correcting or repeating the same for the future.
If you are worried about your child's bad behavior, this post is for you. Let’s read and discover the common child behavior issues and their solutions.
What Are Some Common Kids Behavior Problems?
All kids are cute but different in behavior and personality. You may experience arguments, yelling, and tantrums as a parent, which is a part of normal behavior. A child’s normal behavior depends on his age, upbringing, environment, and emotional development. However, most age-appropriate child behaviors are considered normal unless they are harmless.
If your child shows bad behavior regularly, it may be a concern. Below are the signs of abnormal behavior in kids.
Displaying destructive behavior such as throwing things, screaming, and hitting
Being rude and talkback for no reason
Getting late into the classroom
Getting into fights at the school
Stealing things
Frequent emotional outbursts over minor things
Being extremely lazy or disoriented
Self-harm and suicidal tendency
May challenge you and defy discipline rules
Mocking and bullying other kids
Involvement in inappropriate sexual behaviors at a very young age.
The list is not ended here. In fact, many abnormal behavior issues are not acceptable and need correction. The good news is that most of these problems can be solved with positive parenting and behavior therapy if intervened early.
Common Behavior Issues In Children
Some common behavior issues in kids and their possible solution is mentioned below. So, have a look to correct the behavior of your child.
Screaming and Yelling
Most kids learn bad habits by watching other ill-mannered children. Often parents yell at their children. Consequently, kids also copy the same attitude. Similarly, when your kids are angry, they start yelling to bring you into the argument. You should be concerned if your child uses offensive language and yells at you before ten years old.
Here’s what you should do to solve this behavior problem in kids.
Avoid yelling in front of your kids.
Set rules at home and show zero tolerance for offensive language at home. For example, your eight-year-old will have to miss her screen time for a day.
If your toddler starts copying yelling of elders, teach him that it’s bad and people don’t like such kids who use abusive language.
Teach your kids an effective way to express their needs rather than screaming. For example, you can ask your child to demand softly. Then respond to him. Show him that you won’t listen to him if he uses abusive language or screams.
Telling Lies
Lying is the most common in kids that may badly hurt you. In fact, kids don’t start lying all of a sudden. Instead, there may be a reason behind this learned behavior. They may lie to get attention, save themselves from punishment, or feel better about themselves.
If your catch your child telling lies, don’t take it personally. Try to sort out the reason behind lying and correct it immediately by following the tips mentioned below.
Be a role model for your kids and teach them the importance of being honest.
Appreciate your child for speaking the truth even when they expect that you might punish them.
Create household rules for the consequences of lying. Your child will have to miss his favorite evening snack or any favorite activity as a consequence of lying.
Temper Tantrums or Manipulation
Has your child ever manipulated you for candy or his favorite toy in public? If so, it might be very exhausting to handle for parents. Such behavior is common in preschoolers and toddlers. Remember, falling prey to your child’s manipulative behavior is not a solution. Instead, your child may learn that he can get everything by showing temper tantrums.
Here are some solutions.
Ignore the temper tantrums. Say “no” to useless demands.
If your child is not rude or abusive, listen to him and give a brief explanation from your side.
Teach him effective ways to convey his opinion rather than going mad.
Aggressive Behavior
Young kids have poor control over emotions and don't know how to handle their feelings appropriately. They may show impulsiveness get angry or frustrated over minor things. This frustration can cause aggression and consequently violence in kids. Your child can also learn to be violent from school or home environment.
If your child’s aggression is causing harm to someone, this is what you should do:
Firstly, lower your tone and calm down your child. Hold on to your emotions as you are in your senses, but your child doesn’t.
Set limits and tell your child the consequences of being violent.
Teach your child to express anger in words rather than hitting or biting.
Ask him to practice taking deep breaths when angry or leave the room until they calm themselves.
Unlimited Screen Time
Most parents feel desperate in keeping their kids away from the excessive use of screens and social media. It is a problem in almost every house where kids resist screen time limits and don’t listen to their parents. Too much screen time can cause many psychological disorders in kids.
Follow these tips if you are worried about your child’s behavior problems related to too much screen time.
Spend family time and play games together, keeping all the gadgets away.
Establish limits about using screen time and be a role model for your kids.
Create rules and ensure that everyone is following them, including yourself.
If your child breaks the rules, don’t give him gadgets back until he corrects himself.
Involve your child in physical activity, plan a hiking or picnic trip every weekend. It will strengthen your bonding with kids, and they’ll realize that spending time with family is more enjoyable than digital gadgets.
Final Thoughts
Your child goes through different developmental stages in his life. You may experience his aggression, rudeness, disrespect, tantrums, and disobedience. Often, certain age-appropriate behaviors are considered normal, and kids get out of them when they grow up.
But if behavior issues are interfering with your child’s daily activities, you should be concerned and try your best to control them. Hopefully, this post about common behavior issues in kids and their solutions is helpful for you. However, if the behavior problems in your child persist, seek professional help as soon as possible.
