ECED 13 Summary

It is very hard to the parents to accept that their child are having a behavioral problem. Although 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. If your child has the irritable habit of throwing a tantrum every time you go to the supermarket, you are not alone. Often, these habits 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. 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.

Parents should decide what behaviors are going to be acceptable and what behavior will not be tolerated based on the age and development of the child. No rules often leads to chaos in the family and can leave long-lasting problems in the child. As parents, we cannot control our children, but we do have a vast amount of influence. Our real job is to help our children develop self control. How do we do that? Time Outs. There is a time and a place for using the time out strategy. I have found that time outs only escalate the temper tantrum and drag it out. They are largely ineffective for ending temper tantrums. Corporal Punishment. I do not endorse spankings and slappings. Aside from legal consequences, they tend to have negative psychological consequences for the child. Keep your cool and do not hit or spank the child. Begging, Pleading, Negotiating, Bribes... Giving In. This teaches the child that they can get what they want by throwing the tantrum or displaying bad behavior. They learn they can control you. Throwing your own mock tantrum.I'm talking about having a screaming contest with the child. It can be funny to watch - a grown up behaving like a child - maybe your child will be amused and pause their own. Seriously though - if it did in fact work, why are you looking for help? "Overnight-success" strategies.These can be very tempting - like ultra-fast weight loss pills. Sure, I too, have customers that report overnight success, but these are truly the exception, not the norm. Again - bad habits cannot be broken overnight. Normal behavior in children depends on the child's age, personality, and physical and emotional development. A child's behavior may be a problem if it doesn't match the expectations of the family or if it is disruptive. Normal or "good" behavior is usually determined by whether it's socially, culturally and developmentally appropriate. Knowing what to expect from your child at each age will help you decide whether his or her behavior is normal.