Things That Affect Children's Behavior

Parenting decisions directly affect children's behavior.

Parenthood is an enormous responsibility --- it makes you the gatekeeper of the influences that can affect your children's development on a daily basis. Both internal and external factors work to shape your child's behavior, and parents should educate themselves on these factors, and proactively create an atmosphere in which a child can mature. Positive influences help kids to engage in healthy behaviors, while negative influences train them to engage in unhealthy or immature behaviors.

Parental Behavior

Many of the behaviors that children exhibit are a direct reflection of how their parents behave behind closed doors. If a child responds to conflict by cursing or hitting, there is a good chance the child is simply copying the response of one of her parents in a similar situation. In addition, a parent's decision to praise or shame, set limits or be permissive, and selectively ignore or micro-manage, all directly affect the way a child learns to behave in life.

Food

Public Health Nutritionist Susan Johns reports on the Mother Inc. website that, "Factors as meal skipping, allergies and food intolerance can impact on behavior." She further reports that processed foods are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to feeding kids food that disturbs healthy behavioral patterns. Junk food can put children on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows, energy surges and crashes. In contrast, healthy organic foods can help their brains to function at peak levels and their moods to be more stabilized.

TV

Television programs can affect children's behavior either positively or negatively, depending on the specific subject matter of the telecasts. Shows that are educational, or that explore the world outside of your child's present horizons, can help a child to engage in proactive, lifelong learning. However, scary or violent shows can traumatize a child, causing him to experience internal fears, anxieties, turmoil, and even anger. TV can also negatively affect a child by turning him into a passive observer, instead of launching him into more physical and social activities.

Peers

The vice president of the Institute for Youth Development (IYD), Anita M. Smith, reports that one child from a focus group confessed, "Friends do help you, but sometimes they want you to do things you wouldn't do if you were by yourself. Or sometimes you feel pressured to do something because everyone is doing it and you want to be cool, too." Parents should be aware of the fact that a child's peers have a major influence on his behavior. You should always know who comprises your child's inner circle of friends, and whether those children's own behaviors are such that you wouldn't mind them influencing your child.

References

• The Institute for Youth Development: The Power of Peers; Anita M. Smith; 2004
• Mother Inc.: Can Food Affect Children's Behaviour?; Susan Johns
• University of Michigan: Television and Children; Kyla Boyse, RN; 2010
• Ask Dr. Sears: 10 Techniques to Shape Children's Behavior; William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN

Resources

• Finding Factors That Affect Behaviors In Children...; Teresa Kellerman; 2002