How To Deal With A Stubborn Child

Posted on November 14, 2008 in Latest News

Dealing with a stubborn child can be a nightmare at times. Most often it turns out to be a battle of wits where either the parent or the child ends up winning. There is a win-loose situation and not a win-win situation.

Getting a stubborn child to do what you, as a parent think is right for them needs lot of tact and strategy. Sometimes, a stubborn child can embarrass the parent big time when in a shopping mall or at a party.

In order to avoid creating scenes and blowing up a situation the parent has to be little more patient, understanding and assertive.

Here are some tips on how you can deal with this stubborn attitude of a child.

Be very clear: Be very clear about the behavior you expect from your child. Don’t keep oscillating from one point of view to the other. For e.g. when at a shop, make it very clear that the child will get to eat only a pastry and not an ice cream because of the child’s susceptibility to cold. Stick to what you say. If you find your child creating a fuss and you happen to give in then the child is most likely to repeat the same behavior again because he/she knows that they can get anything they want by throwing a tantrum.

Time Out: When the child has misbehaved, you may find yourself raging with anger. When you have calmed down talk to the child about the issue and tell him/her that for their misbehavior they will not get to do the thing they like the most. For e.g. not letting them watch their favorite TV programme. They will have to take a time out from their favorite things. When they know what a time-out is, they will try and avoid misbehaving.

Explain Things: Parents think that children cannot understand an adult’s point of view and most of the times they try to be very protective and inhibit the child from doing things. When told not to do a thing be very assured that your child will end up doing that very thing only. Instead of directly telling the child  “No, you cannot eat or do or go there” tell them “No, you cannot do this because ………” When given a reason most children oblige and do as the parent says.

Reward: Reward your child when he/she does the right thing. The child will appreciate the fact that his/her efforts are not going unnoticed and will try more hard to please the parents.

Keep these points in mind and have a wonderful parenting time.

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