Parenting

Children will misbehave for a variety of reasons.  A strong set of boundaries and guidelines that are enforced from an early age will assist in maintaining a well behaved child.  Even the best child has bad days where the parents are left asking "where did I go wrong?"  During the first few years poor behavior generally has an underlying cause, which even the child may not be aware of. 

Listed below are 10 reasons you may not have thought could cause bad behavior

1.    Hunger. 
Sounds strange I know, but it is very true.  As their energy supplies begin to diminish, so does their level of behavior.  Children often don't recognize the early signs of hunger.  If you can see you child starting to play up they may be in need of food.  If it is near meal time provide them with the meal.  If dinner is still a while away get them a nutritious and high energy snack.  Fruit, particularly bananas, are a great option

2.    Sleep. 
Even as adults if we are lacking in sleep we become irritable and cranky.  Children are exactly the same.  To help maintain harmony in the house ensure that your child is getting adequate rest.  Watching TV quietly is not the same as closing your eyes and having a nap for twenty minutes.  If your child is in need of a rest do not put them in front of the box, instead get them to lay down for at least 20 minutes (longer for younger children) and you will really notice the difference.

3.    Boredom. 
Children need to be constantly amused and entertained.  This does not mean your involvement will always be required but you do need to ensure you have a range of activities available for your child to choose from.  As your child get older they will be able to tell you what they fell like doing, till then provide them with choices.  Children who misbehave at school may need to be provided with more challenging lessons or perhaps some extra activities such as a sport or hobby.

4.    Attention.
Bad behavior is often a cry for attention.  Try spending more quality time with your child.  Find activities that you can do together that your child will be interested in.  The parent child relationship is the most important relationship for at least the first sixteen years of a child's life.

5.    Emotional Adjustments. 
Maybe its a new baby, troubles with friends at school, arguments between parents or raging hormones, all of these and more can send a child's emotions into a cyclonic state.  As they grapple with coming to terms with the many issues of life that are thrown their way, your child's behavior could be what suffers most.  Remember to be understanding and aware of such possibilities.  Talking to your child about their emotions and what they may be going through can make life a whole lot easier for both of you.

6.    Jealousy.
Older brother doing well at sports, younger sister excelling in drama and the middle child just gets into trouble.  Sound familiar?  Chances are the trouble maker is experiencing a bout of the old green eyed monster.  Not everyone has an obvious skill, some children may be delayed in display their particular talent.  This is not necessarily a problem unless excessive praise is being given to other siblings.  Make sure you encourage and reward even the slightest successes and assist your child to find what it is they are good at without applying in pressure to achieve.

7.    Learning Difficulties. 
Recent studies are finding that poor behavior can be directly linked to learning difficulties such as deslexia and even color blindness.  Often such problems can go undetected for great lengths of time.  If your child is suffering from poor behavior it may be worth having the assessed for learning difficulties.

8.    Discipline. 
You go to parent night at school and the teacher says your child is an angel, prefect manners, behavior, everything points to them being a model citizen.  Yet within the boundaries of your home your child is far from angelic.  The reason is discipline.  While not as strict as they use to be schools are still rather stringent with their rules and regulations.  Children respond to guidelines, boundaries and consequences.  If at home you have a more lax perspective to rules, your child will take advantage of this. Introduce strict guidelines (and stick to them) and your child will become as angelic at home as they are at school

9.    Experimentation. 
We all love to see just how much we can get away with.  Children are no exception.  Even if you have a strong set of rules and consequences there will be times when children will want to put them to the test.  While this can be a hard time, make sure you stay strong and never give in.  Maintaining a well behaved child can sometimes be a battle of the wills.  Stay strong and consistent and after a short time your child will realize who is the boss and what is expected.

10.    Friendships. 
Peer pressure is a terrible fact of life.  While it can have a positive role it can also at  times prove to be very detrimental to your child's behavior.  If you are experiencing difficulties with your child's behavior their friends may be to blame.  Granted you can't always select who your child will associate with you can guide them into making the right choices.

Tags: behaviour, discipline