Have you ever noticed your child drawing your attention to some mischief he has done and then waiting for your reaction ? It is commonly observed that children love attention and the more you check them about their mischief, they more they indulge in it.
How often your child plays this game with you depends on how much you let him know you don’t like it. The more upset you get, the more the child will tease you. This isn’t perversity on your child’s part. This is only a way to assert his will. So, how do you prevent your children from engaging in such behaviour ?
You can be very stern with them, admonish or threaten them. But such measures are harmful in the long run. Here are some gentle ways in which you can check your child’s behaviour and let him know how wrong it is.
Don’t React
If in a fit of rage – that you haven’t treated him to his favorite pizza for the fifth consecutive day – your son calls you stupid, don’t react. What if he keeps repeating ? Try saying something funny. There is a good chance that he’ll be reduced to giggles. Immediately, the bad mood will fizzle out and he will settled for some regular food.
Repeat Yourself
If the child is in a particularly foul mood, then look at him calmly and say : “In our family, we don’t call each other names.” Keep repeating the same thing till he is fed up and gives up. By doing this, he’ll realize that you are not being affected and the message will be very clearly put across to him.
Don’t Respond
One of the ways to deal with your child’s provocative behaviour is not to respond. Stop talking to him. Pretend that you are too busy with your chores. if you show that you aren’t interested, he’ll also lose interest. Lose interest and he probably will too.
Ignore the Child
If your child becomes stubborn and demands to buy him all the toys, don’t give in. No matter what tantrums he throws at you, just pretend that you didn’t hear and keep ignoring him. Or tell him curtly that you are not buying him anything. Eventually, you will draw home the point.
