There are few things more annoying than a sulking, pouting child. Children who pout usually do so because they think they're entitled to something that they aren't getting. Few parents feel that the best way to combat pouting is to grant the child's wishes. As a matter of fact meeting the wishes of a sulking child may make pouting even more of a problem in the long-term. The first step in combating this behavior is understanding why children do it.
Because You Let Them
According to Adoption.com, children who have a real problem with pouty behavior are normally the product of parents who give in too easily. When you succumb to the wishes of a sulky child, you show acceptance for their poor behavior.
They Lack The Opportunity to Communicate
Other kids pout because they have no other way to get their point across. Not every parent welcomes the expression of opinions and desires by his child. Parents with a more formal or controlling style of interaction with their child might have more pouting to deal with because the child feels like she can't talk to them. Younger children with less advanced communication skills may also use pouting as a way to get their point across, because they have not yet learned more effective forms of communication.
They are Manipulating You
According to ProfessorsHouse.com, "pouting is in fact manipulation. Even a child can be displeased or unhappy about the outcome of a situation and not revert to pouting." If your child knows that pouting will cause you to give them whatever they want, they will continue to do so.
They're Trying to Make You Feel Sorry for Them
For a child, pouting is like screaming, "Look at me! I am upset and I want you to do something about it!" If he is displeased with something that you have said and done toward or around him, he will react in a bratty way. In the mind of a child, this outward display of his displeasure with his situation is a logical way to show you that he is upset about something you have or have not done.
They Don't Know Any Better
Some children pout because they know no better. Not all parents are bothered by this type of behavior, and fail to discourage it. Children that are raised in a home where pouting and sulking are acceptable behavior are bound to do a great deal more of it than those children that experience negative repercussions when they exhibit this type of behavior.
