common behavioral problems of children

Common Problems of Children

There are five very common behavior problems that almost every parent will experience when dealing with their children. Of course, every child is different, and some children will struggle more with some problems than other children. If you are a parent, however, chances are you will have to deal with at least one or two of these problems as your child grows and matures. Whining How does a child begin whining? More than likely, your child began whining when she discovered that you paid more attention to her when she was in distress. While that distress may have begun with a legitimate situation, it probably developed into your child’s way of getting your attention, even if that attention was negative. How can you deal with the whining? You need to take the attention away from your child. You simply should not respond to your child’s whining. When she begins to whine, you can very calmly tell her that you will not answer her or address her problem until she speaks to you in an ordinary voice, then walk away from her and continue to ignore her whining behavior. When she realizes that the whining isn’t getting the result she desires, she should stop. Bedtime Battles  Does your child go calmly to bed, only to repeatedly get up for that last sip of water or visit to the bathroom? Does it take you one to two hours to get your child to finally settle in for the night? There are several ways you can handle this depending upon the age of your child. If your son or daughter is a toddler or pre-schooler, you may want to keep a chart. Each time your child goes to bed and stays in bed, reward her with a sticker. After a designated time period in which she stayed in the bed for several consecutive nights, let her choose a particular treat, such as a small toy or a visit to a new playground. Be sure you praise her for being a good girl. If your child is older, you may need to dock any extra time that he takes staying in the bed. Explain to your child that the longer he stalls going to bed, the less time he will be allowed to watch television or play on the computer. Tantrum Often, this habit intensify simply because it is easier to give in to your child than to address the problem. How can you handle these tantrums? Probably the most important thing you should remember is that you should never give in to them. This may mean that you have to leave the store. Once you leave the store, however, don’t let your child’s behavior go without consequences. Once you get home, you will need to instill some sort of time-out or loss of privilege, depending on the age of your child. Spoiled Behavior Indulging your child too much and too often may turn your child into a selfish, spoiled brat. While you may have thought that you were lavishing your child with love by giving into her every whim and desire, you may soon learn that your child’s desires are unending. If you have somehow helped to create a demanding child, you can reverse this behavior pattern, even though it may take a while. Don’t give in to your child’s every wish. Instead, help your child discover ways to earn certain privileges or objects. Show your child that there are many people who are in need. Be sure you volunteer at activities that your child can help with. Teach your child to give to others, instead of only wanting to obtain things for herself. Disrespectful manner  Of course, when a child talks back to a parent, that parent may lose his or her temper rather quickly, but you should keep in mind that this is often what a child wants. If your child senses that he has the power to make you lose control, he may exert that power more and more often. Your child needs to show you respect, and in order to teach him this, you will need to talk to him respectfully, but firmly. If he speaks to you disrespectfully, you should tell him that you will not discuss anything with him until he can talk respectfully to you. Let him know that he will not get any kind of response out of you until he changes his tone. Behavior problems can be overwhelming, but with firmness and consistency, parents can do a lot to manage their child’s behavior.