How to Handle Rude Children
Rude behavior in children is enough to make any parent cringe with embarrassment. Most parents do not choose to raise a child who is disrespectful or rude to other people, but some children will pick up this behavior from peers or television. Learning how to handle rude children will not only help you feel better about your job as a parent, but will teach your children valuable lessons about how to treat others and respect themselves.
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Instructions
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Stop the rude behavior immediately upon viewing or hearing it. Tell your child in a gentle but firm voice to end the behavior immediately. For example, if your son calls your daughter a rude name, say to him, "Stop what you are saying now. You need to walk away and think about your actions." Do this every time the behavior occurs in order to make an impact on your child. Tell him to stop what he is saying or doing and have him sit down or walk away from the situation in which he is currently acting out.
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Hold your child responsible for her actions. Sit down with her and make a list of consequences for rude behaviors, such as a time out or loss of television time after dinner. Let her know what to expect should she decide to act in a rude manner. Avoid making excuses for her and stay consistent in your approach to disciplining rude behavior. Give your child a consequence from the list each time she acts in a rude or inappropriate manner.
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Explain to your child why rude behavior will not be tolerated. Talk to him about how rude behavior can have a lasting effect on his relationships with others. Tell him that people will not want to spend time with him or be his friends if he continues to display rude behaviors toward others.
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Help your child develop empathy for others by explaining how rude behaviors can hurt another person's feelings. Appeal to their conscience by asking them how they would feel if another person behaved rudely toward them. Help your child understand how rude behavior affects other people.
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Monitor the television programming your child is viewing, as there may be characters on shows they watch who behave in a rude way. Talk to your child about why the behavior on the show is wrong and do not allow any further viewing of programs that model inappropriate behaviors.
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Model positive behaviors for your child. Do not speak or behave rudely to people in the community, on the phone or in person, no matter how irritated or upset you are. Role modeling constructive ways to handle your feelings, such as talking it out or walking away, will help your children learn the same ways of behaving and avoiding rudeness. You cannot expect your children to behave one way if you do the opposite.
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Tips & Warnings
Be patient when dealing with rude children. It may take several weeks or even months to break the habit of rude behavior, depending on how long the child has been engaging in the behavior.
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