All children are different and display unique behavioral characteristics. However, when their behaviors become challenging, parents commencement exploring child behavior bug and solutions.

On well-nigh occasions, children are considered to have normal behaviors if they are age-advisable and do non cause any harm. Nevertheless, if their actions get difficult to manage, you should pay attention to them. For example, if children become emotional too often, cause destruction, or conduct rudely, it may signify a behavioral effect.

You tin can handle nigh of these problems with positive parenting and behavioral therapy. Further, it is important to talk to your children and support them in overcoming the problem. Nevertheless, if you lot feel the problem is becoming unmanageable, consider taking professional aid.

This post elaborates on the common behavioral problems in children, their signs and symptoms, and tips for handling them efficiently.

What Is Normal Behavior In Kids?

In that location is no yardstick for normal behavior. It depends on a child's age, personality, emotional development and environment of upbringing.

In general, a kid's behavior is accounted to be normal if it is socially, developmentally and culturally appropriate. You tin consider a child'due south behavior normal even if it does not encounter the societal or cultural expectations, but is otherwise age-advisable and not harmful.

How do you differentiate a misbehaving child from a normal ane?

Signs And Symptoms Of Abnormal Behavior in Children

Children are beautiful when naughty. A few tantrums, arguments, and yelling once in a while is not aberrant. But if such beliefs becomes a daily occurrence, then it is a cause for business organisation. Here are some signs that bespeak that your child's behavior is abnormal.

  • Your kid seems to have difficulty managing his emotions. He has frequent emotional outbursts and pocket-size things bother him.
  • Information technology is non normal if your eight-year-onetime girl or boy becomes impulsive. They may display destructive behavior like hitting, throwing things, screaming, etc.
  • Your otherwise talkative child withdraws into a beat out, talks back and seems rude for no reason.
  • Your trivial male child maybe lying more often than you realized. Stealing or taking things that do non belong to them becomes a habit.
  • Your child'southward behavior is affecting his operation at school. For example, your child may be getting into fights, going late to grade or missing classes.
  • Spats and disagreements that your seven-year-onetime girl has with peers become problems that affect her social life. That is non normal.
  • Unable to focus on one thing, gets restless, extremely lazy or disoriented.
  • Indulges in sexual behaviors that are not age appropriate.
  • Your child starts questioning your instructions and does non respond to field of study. He may defy rules just to claiming yous.
  • It is not normal for children to harm themselves or even think about self-impairment. So, if they are harming themselves physically and having suicidal tendencies, you lot should be worried.

It is important to annotation that the rational office of the encephalon is not even so developed in children nether three and are, therefore, driven by their emotions. As they grow older, rationality improves but they still need support from united states of america in managing their emotions. This is normal.

Also, small-scale abnormal behaviors can be corrected through behavior therapy and modify in parenting styles. What are such beliefs disorders in children which can be dealt with some effort?

8 Common Behavioral Problems In Children

Information technology is mutual for children to interruption the rules and go against the norm to 'test' say-so. Only that fashion exercise they understand what beliefs is appropriate and what is not. Read on to learn about the behaviors that kids tend to exhibit from time to fourth dimension and how you can handle a child with behavior problems.

1. Boldness and backtalk

When your iii-year-old daughter talks dorsum to you lot, it may seem funny and adorable. Merely when your 7-year-old girl shouts out a 'no' every time you tell her to do something, information technology tin can go on your fretfulness. If not handled properly, backtalk can atomic number 82 to arguments between parents and children.

Then what do yous practise?

  • If your child talks back only follows your instructions, so ignore it. Ignoring backtalk may be okay if the behavior is non threatening or destructive.
  • If the child follows instructions, even though he talks dorsum, appreciate that they did what you asked, fifty-fifty if they didn't want to. You can so explain that information technology is okay to exist aroused, but non okay to speak to you disrespectfully.
  • Merely if the kid'southward responses are threatening others or cocky, and then yous demand to pay attention to what they say and handle it carefully.
  • Practice not answer impulsively. Let the child at-home downwards and then accost what he or she said. Tell them calmly nearly what behavior is acceptable and what is not.
  • Ready limits and brand them aware of the consequences. Practise not threaten, just state plain facts that if they talk back, they won't get ice cream or go to the pic. For example, tell them if they go along to yell and shout, then they will have to forgo the dinner. Yet, if they stop shouting and mind to y'all, and so they will get something prissy for the dinner. Such requite-and-have volition look less controlling but giving the pick to the child themselves.
  • Ready expectations, but you can exist a trivial flexible sometimes if it makes them happy.
  • Finally, accept a quick bank check of how you behave with the kids or others when the kids are around. Are yous rude or disrespectful? If yes, you need to starting time by irresolute your behavior.

ii. Calumniating linguistic communication

Children scream and yell when they are aroused. Only if they start swearing fifty-fifty before they are all of ten years old, you should exist worried. They may start yelling or using abusive language to bring you lot into an argument or simply to go their manner. When your kid uses offensive language and swears, hither is what you should do.

  • Brand certain yous are not using such linguistic communication in front end of kids.
  • Have nothing tolerance for verbal abuse at home. There is no excuse for swearing or cursing. So if they apply such language, there is a effect.
  • Explain the consequences conspicuously and ensure they are in place. So if your 9-twelvemonth-quondam girl is grounded for 1 day for abusive language, she volition have to miss her soccer practise or music grade. There should be no ii ways virtually information technology.
  • If your toddler is using such language, correct them immediately. Tell them it is a "bad word" and people do not like that discussion or kids who use that discussion.

If y'all take used that word in front end of your child, apologize immediately. You can even ask your kid to remind y'all that it is a bad word, should you ever say it in front of him.

3. Aggressive or violent behavior

It is okay for children to get angry. Merely if that anger becomes vehement or turns into ambitious behavior in children it is a problem. Mood disorders, psychosis, comport disorder, trauma, impulsiveness or frustration can cause aggression in young children. At times, your child may resort to violence for cocky-defense.

Aggression can too exist a learned behavior. How is the environment at home? Or is the child learning to be violent, at school? If your child tends to react to a negative response by striking, biting or kicking, this is what you should practice.

  • The easiest way to reply to assailment in children is to yell back at them. But if you do then, you end up teaching them the wrong things. Your kids look upwardly to you lot to learn how to control their impulses and emotions. And so rather than raising your voice, lower your tone and tell them to calm downwards.
  • Reflect their feelings, sympathize, simply brand it articulate that striking or boot or biting is not allowed. You could say something like "I know yous are angry. But we exercise not bite, hit or kick. No striking!"
  • Tell them what the consequences would exist if they turn violent. If you are dealing with a younger child, tell them what they can practice instead. Give them an alternative, but don't go out them hanging. For case, teach them to employ words and phrases like "I'k aroused," or "I don't like it," or"I'chiliad non happy about it" when they are upset, instead of resorting to concrete violence.

Well-nigh chiefly, be a good role model and avoid giving them concrete penalization. Too, reward positive, non-aggressive behavior.

4. Lying

It is mutual for children to lie. It is also common for parents to worry when they catch the kids lying. Yous may feel betrayed, hurt and even wonder if you tin can trust the child once more. But here is what you lot should practice to forbid your kid from lying.

  • Do non take it personally. Retrieve about it from your child's perspective to sympathize what compelled him to lie.
  • Kids may lie when they are scared that the truth might take negative consequences. Appreciate the positives rather than punishing negative behavior to prevent your child'due south demand for lying.
  • Teach them to be honest. Start by beingness a role model.
  • Have consequences for lying. No arguments or discussions near it. Your child lies, he gets to deal with the consequences.

v. Bullying

Bullying is a serious problem and could result in emotional and physical abuse of the victim. Children tend to bully others to feel powerful. As well, bullying resolves their social problems easily. When dealing with feelings becomes hard, kids tend to take on bullying to fix things. If yous discover that your child has been bullying others, yous should human activity immediately.

  • Start teaching your kids from an early historic period that bullying is wrong. More chiefly, explain to them what or who a groovy is and requite them examples of what bullies do. For example, y'all can say, "A great is someone who calls people names, or does mean things to them, or takes their property by strength."
  • Set up rules and standards in the house early on. Make a statement like "nosotros do non bully in this firm" or "You do not go away with such behavior in this business firm".
  • Watch out for signs of bullying: run into if your older kids are trying to bully the younger ones, and rectify the behavior immediately.

6. Manipulation

Manipulation is tricky and a very exhausting behavior to handle. Children tend to act out, lie, or weep to become what they want. If you give in to the bad behavior in children, your kid feels justified. For case, if your kid throws a tantrum in public for a candy bar and you buy her one, she has just manipulated y'all.

In elementary words, when your kid manipulates you, she has ability over you. As an adult, you can e'er suspension the pattern and finish falling for your child's manipulative behavior.

  • Wait your child to fight every fourth dimension you say 'no'. That way, yous can figure out how to deal with their behavior and non fall for manipulation.
  • Make it clear that when you say 'no', it means no. You tin can give them a brief explanation of your position, but don't get into justifying information technology.
  • Avert discussion, but don't shut them off completely. Effort to listen to their side of the argument every bit long equally the child is respectful and not rude or calumniating.

vii. Lack of motivation and laziness

Your child doesn't seem interested in doing annihilation at all. Be information technology schoolwork, art or music practise or even playing, he refuses to participate. Motivating kids is not like shooting fish in a barrel, especially if they are lazy and tend to find an excuse for not doing anything. When your son or daughter is unmotivated, hither is how yous can aid.

  • Don't go broken-hearted by your child'southward behavior. When you do, you may be seen equally pushy, and that tin can encourage them to resist y'all.
  • You can tell them the stories about your childhood and share your experiences to inspire and encourage them to effort something new.
  • Do not force your kid to take up a hobby. Give them options and let them choose. Kids are more than interested in something that they cull.
  • Take a stride back and cheque: are yous forcing your kid to do something? Ask what your child really wants and what motivates him? Meet your child as a split person to identify what motivates them.
  • Try to find ways to become your kids motivated on their own. Self-motivation is more powerful than beingness driven by others.
  • Encourage younger children to take up daily chores by making them fun. Y'all may set a competition of who picks up the most number of toys or bits of paper from the floor or who makes their bed first.
  • For older children, making them responsible for tasks such as washing the dishes, setting the tabular array or cleaning up to prepare the expectations clear. Set limits like nosotros will watch a movie once you have finished your chore.

8. Beliefs problems in school

"I hate school!" Is that something y'all hear your five-year-sometime say every morning? Kids ofttimes give parents a hard time by refusing to go to school or complete homework assignments in time. Children could refuse to go to schoolhouse for many reasons: bullying, academic issues, resistance to authority and rules, or anxiety of existence separated from parents.

  • Start by getting to the root of the issue. Find out why your kid hates schoolhouse or refuses to do his homework. You lot may desire to assist him with his homework if he has trouble with it.
  • Your kid may accept time to perform academically and exist okay with school. Understand that the change will not happen overnight.
  • Offer incentives, not bribes, to encourage positive beliefs. For instance, you tin can say, "you have earned an water ice foam this night because you did your homework without any reminders".
  • Ask the kid if they want y'all to talk to the teacher almost a problem that they are facing. Let them feel and sympathize that you are bachelor for them when they face a problem in schoolhouse. Encourage them past asking what they like doing in the school. Aid them with their homework, and make it more interesting.

Behavioral issues are not always elementary enough to deal. Yous would have to seek a professional'southward assistance in complicated cases.

When To Get Assistance

In instance aberrant behaviors turn into something unmanageable at home, or if your kid is making a mistake repeatedly, information technology is time for you to run across a doctor. In that location could be a deeper reason for him to carry in a certain way.

The professional will look into the concrete and mental health of the child before recommending medications, special therapy or counseling.

Under what circumstances could the child'due south behavior become out of control?

Behavioral Disorders In Children

Sometimes, abnormal behavior could be a symptom of a behavioral disorder that needs the attending of a medical practitioner. We have listed out some of the common behavioral disorders in children.

1. Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)

Oppositional defiant disorder is a disruptive behavior that usually affects children. Symptoms of this disorder include:

  • Gets aroused, throws tantrums, outbursts frequently, and has depression or no self-esteem.
  • Is hostile to rules.
  • Annoys others deliberately.
  • Blames others for all misdeeds.

two. Conduct disorder (CD)

Children who have CD are known for their delinquent behavior and non obeying rules. Nearly 5% American children, who are below ten years of age, take CD.

The typical behaviors are:

  • Refusing to follow the rules laid by parents or schoolhouse regime.
  • Repetitive truancy.
  • Trying abusive substances similar booze, cigarettes, and drugs at a very early age.
  • Always ready to fight.
  • Aggressive towards animals and pets.
  • Utilise of weapons.
  • Lying oftentimes.
  • Indulging in criminal acts like committing burglary, lighting upwardly property and breaking into houses.
  • Running away from habitation.
  • Suicidal tendencies, although rare.

3. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

This is related to conduct disorder. Common characteristics of the disorder are hyperactivity problems related to attending, impulsive behavior in children etc. Symptoms include:

  • Trouble focusing on one thing.
  • Disoriented when you speak to them.
  • Difficulty remembering things, instructions, directions, etc.
  • Inattention to detail.

4. Learning disability

There are unlike kinds of learning disabilities with varying symptoms. These disorders touch on the child'due south academic performance and need the expertise of special educators to stay on track.

  • Unable to comprehend instructions.
  • Short term retentiveness.
  • Poor communication abilities.
  • v. Anti-social personality disorder

A kid suffering from this disorder may become indifferent to other's problem. This disorder may aggravate in later stages of life and issue in illegal and not-ethical activities of the individuals.

6. Underdeveloped social skills

This may sometimes be referred to as Asperger's syndrome, which is a narrow developmental disorder.

  • Named after an Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, this syndrome is normally a effect of social interaction impairment.
  • The exact crusade of this syndrome is unknown. However, psychiatrists consider it equally a consequence of a series of symptoms.
  • The common symptom of this disorder is difficulty in starting a chat in public and casual interactions.

Kid beliefs disorders become more visible as he grows upwards. However, you tin identify abnormal behaviors when your child is withal a toddler. It helps you to nip them in the bud.

Beliefs Issues In Toddlers

Misbehaving toddlers can be a handful. Reasoning won't piece of work with them, and punishment volition only make their behavior worse. And so what do y'all do? Continue reading to know well-nigh mutual beliefs issues at preschool age and how you lot can assist them.

1. Interrupting

Little children tend to get excited quickly and cannot command their urge to say what they want to say. They keep interrupting yous all the time. So the adjacent fourth dimension you lot have a conversation with your three-year-erstwhile, here is what you lot should practice.

  • Permit them finish what they want to say. Hear them out without interruption and then begin talking.
  • When they interrupt, explain how mommy did non interrupt and listened when they were speaking. Tell them that they volition become a take chances to speak afterwards yous finish. Say, "let mommy cease, honey" or "mommy has non finished talking."

2. Screaming

Toddlers, peculiarly those younger than iii years, cannot express themselves verbally. They tend to show their anger or frustration in different means, including screaming. So, what do yous do when your toddler screams?

  • Do not scream or shout back at them. It only reiterates that it is okay to scream.
  • Teach them to whisper or talk calmly, through a game. For instance, you tin can start with a 'let'southward see who can scream the loudest', and then try 'who can talk calmly or whisper'.
  • Acknowledge her feelings and talk to her. Although y'all may not have a proper conversation with a ane-year-old, words can soothe the child, and they might stop screaming.

3. Running away

Does your child run away and hide when he gets angry? Running is dangerous, especially if she does it on roads, supermarket or other public places. But yous can keep her safe by:

  • Keeping an middle on the child's movements. Always agree her hand when on the route or other crowded places.
  • Showing the child where she can run and where she cannot. Explain by showing people around and what they are doing. For example, show kids running in the park to say that it is okay to run in that location. Likewise, prove how people exercise non run on the streets.

4. Pulling pilus

Toddlers may tend to scream, kick and pull hair to fix 'bad things'. The just style to make them end such beliefs is to brand them understand that it does not work.

  • Interrupt your child when he is pulling his or someone else's hair to point that he should non be doing information technology.
  • Talk it out and try to explain that information technology is 'bad' to pull hair.
  • Exercise not pull your child's hair dorsum to show how it feels. They may see it as a game and do it again.

five. Throwing things

Children between the age of 18 months and three years are the ones who usually throw things to prove their frustration. They tend to throw nutrient, toys, or anything that they can get their hands on merely out of curiosity or frustration.

  • To avoid impairment to valuables, show what your child can throw. Similar a ball, a boisterous toy or a fluffy one that doesn't become damaged.
  • Discourage them from throwing things when they are aroused or aggressive. Try to ignore when they throw things because of anger. If they persist or keep throwing things that could hurt other children, interrupt immediately and say "No! That is bad" or "No, that hurts!" Tell that in a calm voice.
  • Find means to foreclose them from throwing things. For example, in the automobile, you can tie the toys to her machine seat. That mode she won't be able to throw them away.

If you lot could place any of the above behavioral problems in your toddlers and older children, y'all might demand some tips to bargain with them at home.

8 Tips To Handle Bad Behavior In Children

"Why do kids take to be so annoying?"

If you accept asked yourself that question, you are not alone. Misbehaving children can brand parenting stressful. Nosotros have put together a few tips and tricks that can help y'all handle bad or disruptive beliefs in children.

  1. Don't react. When you react or answer to your kid'due south bad beliefs, yous are encouraging her.
  1. Stay positive. When you lot consider your kid as a problem, you cannot observe constructive ways to bargain with his behavior. Focus on rectifying the beliefs.
  1. Be consistent in your reaction or responses to your child'due south beliefs. More importantly, be consistent in the consequences to drive the point habitation. Give the same responses to their deport, and eventually, they will get it.
  1. That said, it is okay to change the rules sometimes, to change old habits that may have gotten out of paw. For example, cutting downwards TV fourth dimension, video game time or other activities for the kid's benefit is okay.
  1. Be a role model. Change your bad behavior to change your kids' behavior. Children of all ages acquire by observation and imitate you because they assume that their parents know the best.
  1. Disciplining is necessary, but is effective only when it is valid. Yous need to call back well before determining the consequences for your children's misbehavior.
  1. Relax. Don't worry likewise much about the usual yelling, arguments, and defiance. Information technology does not hurt to chill out once in a while and have a break from disciplining.
  1. Utilise child beliefs nautical chart or advantage charts to rails your child'south behavior patterns. Y'all can create one for a specific behavior or multiple behaviors. Y'all can also have a skillful manners nautical chart that has details like "said thank you and delight", "helped mom with chores", "waited for my turn to speak" etc.

Activities For Children With Behavior Issues

A highly constructive way to deal with behavior bug in children, especially toddlers is through activities. At that place are several activities you can effort and here are a few that we think will be nearly helpful to you.

  1. Exercise or concrete activities are perhaps the all-time means to blow steam off. When your child gets excited or angry, getting them to play exterior tin help save them of the energy. If a child's free energy is not properly released, they tend to release it in the ways they know – tantrums, destructive beliefs, acting out, etc.
  1. Part-playing is an fantabulous activity that can teach your kids to control impulses. Ane of the major factors affecting kids behavior is the lack of self-control.
  1. Ask your kid to read aloud a book or what they are writing. Y'all tin endeavor this at bedtime when they are still full of energy and need an activity to calm down and relax.
  1. Storytelling is notwithstanding another activity that engages their imagination and lets them utilise their free energy in a positive way. This activity as well helps you get an insight into their frame of mind.
  1. Play good behavior games and read child behavior books that can teach kids almost good deeds such as kindness, sharing, waiting and saying prissy things to each other. When they acquire that the expert things can be rewarding, they won't attempt the bad ones.

Random misbehavior is the correct of a kid. Practise not try to clench downward on it with your disciplinary ways. However, if you see consequent and severe behavior problems in your child, then yous need to take advisable activeness. And if you think that the situation is out of your hands, exercise not hesitate to approach a child behavior specialist, therapist or a counselor.

Remember, earlier yous label your child as bad, attempt understanding the child's behavior to determine the root cause. With the right approach and professional person help behavioral issues in children can be fixed. Later all, yous want your child to grow into a loving, kind, intelligent and reasonable person, right?

Exercise y'all have whatsoever tricks up your sleeve for handling kid behavior issues? Tell u.s.a. about it here.

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  • Reviewer
  • Author

Michelle Bowyer is the founder of Ocean Grace, a center for therapeutic counseling, behavior intervention, and relationship services. She is an accredited social worker with a Masters' in Social Piece of work (MSWQ). With over 20 years of experience in providing support and interventions to children, adults, and families across three different countries, she aims to support parents, teachers, carers, and families... more

Sagari was a math graduate and studied counseling psychology in postgraduate college, which she used to empathise people improve. Her interest in reading nigh people made her take up articles on kids and their behavior. She was meticulous in her enquiry and gave information that could be of help to parents in times of demand. An creature lover, vegan, and... more than