How to Help a Child With Behavior Problems

Resolving your child's behavior problems early on will help prevent issues later on in life.

Whether your child is acting out by fighting or becoming aggressive with siblings or peers, it is important to get unacceptable behavior under control to prevent serious injury or any further problems. Various solutions are available when dealing with helping a child with behavior problems, from changing the environment around him to family counseling if the issues persist after you have attempted other solutions.

Instructions

1. Monitor your child's behavior. If the problems are happening at school, ask your child's teacher to allow you to sit in class for a day to observe the classroom and your child's behavior, although your presence may prompt better-than-usual behavior. Watch how your child interacts during conflicts before jumping in to interfere or to solve the issue yourself.

2. Talk one-on-one with your child in a calm manner about the unacceptable behavior and what specifically was not an appropriate action. You should also discuss potential consequences for both the actions that your child chooses to commit and for the reactions of others, which allows your child to realize he is not the only one involved in his decisions of behavior.

3. Introduce a new set of rules and behaviors to your child (or add to a current family list). You can do this in a fun an entertaining manner, creating a printed sheet of rules and how to follow them, along with consequences for bad behavior and possibly rewards for acceptable behavior. Add any rules that may help address any issues your child is going through behaviorally to help guide your child in the proper direction.

4. Praise your child for good behavior and kind actions to keep your focus and attention balanced and not purely on the wrongdoings or bad behavior of your child. This will encourage him to continue improving his own behavior, rather than disregarding his own actions.

5. Be firm, yet patient and kind with your child. Reward your child for good behavior to show that proper manners and reactions in life are based on various decisions your child makes. But discipline should be consistently and calmly enforced if behavior problems persist: remove entertainment privileges or ground your child from having sleepovers or going out with friends.

Tips & Warnings

• Call your general practitioner or your child's pediatrician if your child's behavior persists or becomes violent in any way to help determine if there is a more serious health issue occurring. Most doctors will provide referrals for therapy and family counseling at your request.

• If your child is causing harm to himself or to others without the acknowledgment of wrongdoing, contact your doctor or family counselor immediately.

References

• U Mich: Behavior Problems: Your Child
• Nih: Child Behavior Disorders
• About Our Kids: Parent Child Interaction Therapy

Resources

• Ask Dr. Sears: 10 Techniques to Shape Children's Behavior
• Kids Health: Emotions & Behavior
• Wrights Law: Behavior Problems & Discipline