Child Discipline Problems
When a child isn't easily disciplined, parents are often concerned that they won't be able to control troublesome behaviors. Problems with child discipline vary by child, and parents can work to gain a better understanding of what methods work best with their child and prepare for how their child might respond in particular situations.
Other People Are Reading
-
Identification
-
Parents can choose to discipline their children in a variety of ways; however, different children will respond better to certain styles of discipline. Part of this depends on the child's temperament, not necessarily how a parent disciplines. If a child's temperament clashes with the parent's current discipline techniques, both will feel frustrated and problems will arise.
Causes
-
Children begin to ignore traditional discipline tactics for several reasons. They could be seeking the parents' attention, so the discipline although negative still fills that need. Keeping Kids Healthy says that children's misbehavior always has a reason behind it. Elizabeth Pantley, author of "Kid Cooperation," says that parents can look to see if their child doesn't respond to discipline at a certain time of day or around certain people.
-
Considerations
-
Discipline problems may possible medical cause. Sometimes, children won't respond to typical discipline techniques because of an underlying problem, such as emotional disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, possible changes in a the home environment or a difficult or "spirited" temperament, as Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, author of "Raising Your Spirited Child," calls it.
Prevention/Solution
-
Some children might not respond to discipline for simple physiologic reasons. Pantley says that parents should make sure their children don't get overly tired or too hungry. These factors might trigger discipline problems. Also, some environments might be overstimulating for a child who has trouble responding to discipline. Kurcinka says that these children might need time alone to talk with parents in a quiet or dark environment. Sometimes, active children benefit from a discussion on how their body is overly excited. Parents can encourage children to acknowledge how their body feels and what emotions they might be experiencing, Kurcinka says. Instead of reprimanding children, Kurcinka recommends that parents make statements that alert children to possible problems, such as "I can see that your body is getting excited."
Expert Insight
-
Kurcinka suggests carefully monitoring a child's emotional state, particularly if she has a hard time with discipline. She suggests parents work to eliminate stressful situations or stimuli for their children.
-
References
- Photo Credit child image by Vaida from Fotolia.com
