At some point, every child will behave badly. Although bad behavior is just a natural part of growing up and learning the appropriate way to act, dealing with this bad behavior can be very difficult for parents. Fortunately, there are steps parents can take to deal with and resolve their child's bad behavior.
Step 1
Ignore the behavior. If the problem is small enough, or if you think the child is just trying to get attention, ignore the problem and see if it goes away. If it does, quickly find something positive to praise the child about so the child will begin to associate positive behavior with attention, suggests the Center for Effective Parenting.
Step 2
Redirect the child. Sometimes children behave badly not because they are intentionally being disobedient but because they are developmentally incapable of acting otherwise at the moment, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children. If you suspect this is the case, you may want to consider distracting the child to stop the behavior instead of doling out threats and consequences.
Step 3
Tell the child to stop and remind him of what the consequence would be of continuing the behavior. Giving the child a chance to correct the behavior will usually stop the misbehavior.
Step 4
Give the appropriate consequence. If the child still does not listen, follow through with the appropriate negative consequence. This should be done immediately, regardless of the time or place or other people around. The child needs to know that you mean what you say and will follow through on your threats each and every time, suggests the University of Michigan Health Systems.
Step 5
Take care of yourself. Dealing with a misbehaving child can be draining. Make sure that you get the support you need to prevent yourself from getting burned out or stressed. Talking with friends or family members, participating in relaxation activities or having quiet time by yourself away from your child may help.
Step 6
Seek professional help. If the bad behavior seems to be escalating or uncontrollable, consider taking your child to a mental health professional. Some children may have a physical or mental condition that causes the bad behavior and might need treatment to stop it.
Tips and Warnings
- Always consider your child's personality and developmental stage when deciding if a behavior is truly disobedient and in need of punishment. Children do best when they know exactly what to expect, according to the Center of Effective Parenting, so make sure your child understands your rules and expectations at all times.
- Although some parents prefer to use physical punishments as a consequence for not behaving, the American Academy of Family Physicians warns that this is typically loses effectiveness over time and may cause children to become aggressive or violent.
