Parenting is hard enough, but throw in difficult behaviors, and ugh, watch out! All my respect goes out to parents, I really don't know a harder job out there. Here are some suggestions this week for coping with difficult behaviors: DO:
- Respect the child as an individual
- Remember a child's difficult behaviors do not mean that the child is intentionally misbehaving
- Assess the situation and work out a plan to help the child cope
- Evaluate behavior objectively - is the behavior of involved adults affecting the child?
One thing that sticks out as I look at these above "do's" is the fact that we need to treat and understand children as we would ourselves. Sometimes when we act out it's not intentional, and sometimes we're acting a certain way in reaction to someone else. Keep up the good parenting, and please re-visit us as we have more "do's" for you! Thank you for reading.
*Source: Dealing with Difficult Young Children: Strategies for Teachers and Parents by A.K. Soderman.
Written by: Tamara Wilhelm MA, LMHC
*Tamara enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, & couples counseling at Imagine Hope. We also specialize in family counseling, child & adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area, including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Noblesville, Zionsville, Westfield & Fishers.