Does your child ever suddenly go wild and crazy? You wonder, “what on earth has gotten into you?”.
Perhaps they are starting to trash their toys and throw things around the house.Or maybe they are just being a crazy fool or doing something “naughty” or dangerous.
Sometimes my son will be playing so nicely and the next minute it’s like he has turned into a 3 headed monster, out of the blue!
When this happens it can be easy to step into our disciplinary mode where we want to tell them off or ask them to stop what they are doing.
Instead of doing this next time your child is suddenly being “naughty” or acting out I want you to try a different approach.
Approach the situation with curiosity and wonder for what is happening for your child in the moment.
Walk in their shoes…
Have a think about what might be going on for them.
Have you had a busy day? Maybe you just had to take a phone call? Perhaps you were playing with their sibling? Or maybe you were busy cooking dinner.
When you see this behaviour change try following these 5 steps and see how your child responds.
It might save you from having to tell them off, use discipline or get into an argument over their behaviour.
- Take a moment to reflect on what you think might be happening for your child at this exact moment
- Get down to their level
- Ask “what’s happening for you right now?” or “what’s going on?”
- You might then say “how can I help?”
- Offer understanding and an open mind
Sometimes we can react to behaviour rather than looking underneath it and trying to understand the purpose of it.
Instead its often easier to judge or reprimand our child’s behaviour.
Offering understanding and showing a desire to know what is happening for them in the moment can be a great strategy to use.
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