Disruptive behavior is often challenging and difficult to address. According to Kids Health, children often engage in disruptive behavior in response to an unpleasant or boring situation. Disruptive behavior can be embarrassing and upsetting for parents because it is hard to know how to stop the disruptions as well as how to avoid them in the future. Several parenting practices can be effective in dealing with disruptive behavior.
Teach Children To Have Self-Control
According to Kids Health, self-control is one of the most important skills that parents must teach their children; it will aid in taming disruptive behaviors. Self-control gives children the tools necessary to rein in impulsive behavior by teaching children how to make appropriate decisions and how to deal with stressful situations in a positive way. Showing children how to count to 10 or take some deep breaths can help. Temper tantrums are one of the most common disruptive behaviors among children, according to Kids Health, and teaching children strategies to help them cope when they do not get their way is an important way to instill a sense of self-control. Parents are encouraged to model self-control so that children begin to learn that when they behave appropriately they are more likely to get what they want.
Teach Children To Voice Their Opinions Appropriately
Another common disruption is arguments between children and their parents, reports Healthy Children. Disputes and quarrels are an inevitable part of living with a family, but parents can reduce disruptive behavior by teaching their children how to voice their opinions appropriately. Children need to learn that they are allowed to voice their opinions, even if they differ from their parents, but only if they can do it respectfully. Respectfully voicing opinions means that children are able to listen to their parents and discuss the issue using good manners. Parents can model respect by using good manners themselves and by speaking in calm and quiet voices. Parents can reduce disruptive behavior by choosing their battles or by backing down when the issue is just not that important, such as when a child wants to wear her hair in a certain way. Letting children win sometimes also teaches them that voicing their opinions is allowed when it is done respectfully.
Teach Children Coping Strategies
If children are unable to deal with stressful situations, disruptive behavior is often the result. Kids Health suggests that parents teach their children some coping strategies to help them respond to unpleasant situations. Help a child calm down and then encourage him to explain what is upsetting him and what he feels needs to be done to improve the situation. Listening to the child without interrupting is also a powerful way to enable a child to use words to diffuse the situation. Parents are also encouraged to outline specific ground rules that let a child know what behaviors are unacceptable even when he is upset or angry. Walking away or punching pillows are two recommended activities that can help a child calm down and cope with the anger that leads to disruptive behavior.
