8 Ways to Address Your Child’s Challenging Behavior
Camp Kupugani, our overnight summer camp located on 125 acres in Northwest Illinois (near Chicago and Madison, Wisconsin), is a camp where everyone is accepted for who they are, while still being challenged to become a better person. As a parent (and camp director), I can appreciate how it can be a challenge to maximize your child’s behavior and choices.
Indeed, children (as do we as adults) sometimes exhibit behaviors that are not ideal for their development. Read below for a few ways to help your child learn more positive behaviors. Bullets below, with the full article here.
Positive Behaviors
- Lead with empathy and connection.
- Try to learn where the not-great behavior is coming from.
- Try and connect with an issue you have faced in your own experience.
- Borrow tactics from negotiation.
- Pick your battles.
- Look at interest rather than a position.
- Talk above their age or maturity level.
- Set the expectations based on age and maturity level.
- Give them the responsibility that they can handle.
- Focus more on relating than teaching.
- Connect first, teach second.
- Share your frustration about when an incident happens.
- Be intentional with vocal tone and language.
- Use “task-tone”.
- Keep yourself calm.
- Teach them how to recover from mistakes.
- Help your children repair any harm they have done.
- Apologize.
- Fix/pay for the broken item.
- Consequences should be logical and restorative.
- Help your children repair any harm they have done.
- Help them connect their emotions to behavior.
- All behaviors come from somewhere.
- Teach self-regulation techniques.
- Examine unmet expectations.
- Ask questions rather than make assumptions.
- The child is your partner in the process.
Source Article: Washington Post