When children misbehave, the parent's first reaction would be to scold them. However, it is not the best way to correct their misbehavior because, more often, it aggravates as time goes by until you and your children develop a gap. So what are the best ways to manage your children's misbehavior?
Read also: Parenting 101: 5 Reasons Why Children Misbehave?
How to manage the children's misbehavior?
Identifying the root of the problem
Knowing the underlying cause of their misbehavior could help you understand them and find solutions to them. Once you have determined what could be causing your children's distress, then you could quickly help them how to manage such problems and grab the chance to teach them how to handle their emotions and the right way to react. You could give them choices, so it makes them feel that you want to hear their voice. When children think that their parents are hearing them out, this lessens the chances of arguments because they would likely do what they have chosen.
Be calm
Managing kids' misbehavior with nagging, scolding, and punishing might affect your relationship with them. When your child responds with a tantrum, please do not reply with the same reaction because they might copy your behavior, which could worsen in the long run. As parents, you must show them how to regulate their behavior, so they could learn how to do it next time.
Read also: 7 Easy Ways to be a Good Parent
Teach them how to solve problems
As your children are growing up, they are likely to experience issues of different kinds. When this happens, either they could solve the problem on their own, or it leads them to feel frustrated because they could think that they have failed to be good at what they are doing. As a parent, you could help them by giving them ways on how to handle problems.
Teach your children how to control their emotions
When children are frustrated, they tend to express their feelings through their actions because they could not control their emotions yet. Teach them how to express their feelings. You could tell them to write down their sad or negative feelings on a piece of paper, and then they could tear it into bits and then throw them away. You may ask them to go to you and tell all their frustrations to you because it could help release the tension inside by speaking out their bad feelings. You could also ask them to pray and release their burdens to God.
Give them affirmations
Children like hearing their parents complimenting them for the good deeds. Parents should make it a habit to give positive interactions to their children because it helps boost their morale. Apart from that, children also need their parents' attention, so give them a specific time of your day every day. You could talk to them, hug them, hear their stories, play with them, support their interests, and be with them. By giving affirmations, you are discreetly teaching them how to behave the right way without becoming the villain.
