When your children are born, they’re the perfect bundle of joy, and you never want them to grow up. But, the truth is they’re going to grow, and along with this growth will come a distinct personality.
Along the way, your child will exhibit some signs of behavioral issues that can present themselves for several reasons. Whether you’re dealing with the terrible twos in your toddler or tantrums in a four-year-old, there are some ways you can redirect and address these issues.
Check out our guide below and learn how to handle toddler behavior issues better before getting out of hand.
Factors Affecting Children’s Behavior
Before we get into the ways to address behavior issues in toddlers, it’s essential to understand the factors that can contribute to your child acting a certain way. When you can identify these factors, you can change things on your end to help your child improve their behavior.
The first factor that contributes to toddlers’ behavioral issues is you’re upset. If you’re going through something in your life personally and you’re not coping well, this is something your children will pick up on.
When you’re going through something, and it seems like your child isn’t behaving, this is the most critical time to keep your emotions in check. Another factor contributing to your child’s behavior is how you’ve reacted in the past.
For example, have you ever used a reward like candy to get your child to be quiet and behave? While it might have worked in that instance, moving forward, your child will expect you to give them candy.
Or they’ll expect other rewards like that to get them to do what you want in the future. Lastly, a factor that can cause your child to act out is when they want or need attention. This can present itself in the form of crying or throwing a tantrum until you give into what they want.
Dealing With Behavioral Issues
If your child has a pattern of acting out, do your best to identify the situations and follow some of the tips below.
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Be Consistent
Toddler behavior issues can be challenging to deal with. But it’s important to put in place some rules that will help both of you navigate these issues. There will be times when you’re strict and stick to the rules, and other times you let things slide.
This doesn’t make you a bad parent, but it makes it challenging for a child to determine what they should or shouldn’t do. Your child needs consistency and has to learn that when they behave a certain way, they will receive a specific response.
When you’re not consistent, it leads to more confusion for your little one. This makes it even more challenging to deal with behavior issues in toddlers.
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Keep Your Emotions in Check
There will be days when you’re not feeling your best, and your response to the behaviors your child exhibits is to lash out. When you lash out at your toddler, whether in anger or frustration, it can scare them and make them feel as if you’re scolding them for the things they do.
It’s challenging to keep your emotions in check but do your best not to overreact each time they exhibit these behaviors that you deem aren’t the best. Even if you feel your emotions rising, do what it takes to stay calm.
Depending on the situation doing this may mean stepping away for a while. Then come back and explain why you don’t want your child to act a certain way once you’re calm.
If you still find it challenging to keep your emotions in check, we encourage you to speak with your spouse. Together you can think about solutions you can use when dealing with your toddler.
You might find your partner has several ideas to deal with frustration and other emotions that you’ve not thought of before.
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Stay Positive
It’s better to focus on positive reinforcement than negative, and the best way to do this is by staying positive. When you only focus on the negative, your child might begin to think that you’re only singling them out for the negative things they do.
Do your best to point out positive things they do and reward them for these positive behaviors. By praising them when they do positive things, your toddler will learn that they should continue to emulate this type of behavior.
For example, instead of getting onto them for leaving toys out, ensure you take time to praise them for doing it on their own. Before you know it, they’ll start to put away their toys when they’re done playing with them.
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Avoid Physical Altercations
Many of us grew up in households where parents communicated by delivering physical punishment. However, studies have shown that this form of interaction between parents and children breeds an environment where children obey their parents out of fear.
Acting out by whopping your child doesn’t teach them what you’re hoping it will teach them. Instead, it can have long-term repercussions that manifest in the way they deal with other children and even their kids in the future.
When you act aggressively towards your child, the chances of acting this way towards others increase significantly. If you’re unsure of the difference between discipline and punishment, check out this link https://www.montessoridowntown.com/discipline-and-punishment-understanding-the-difference/.
Dealing with Behavioral Issues in Toddlers
When you’re dealing with behavioral issues in toddlers, it’s essential to check out the tips we’ve provided above. Using positive reinforcement and understanding the difference between punishment and discipline is essential.
Want to know more about how to cope with your toddler’s behavior? Don’t forget to check out the other posts we’ve created for readers like you.
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
