As a parent a disrespectful children is a hard thing to deal with. How you react to your child when they are being disrespectful will affect future interactions with them. Remember when dealing with young children they watch you to know how to act and what to do. If you yell at them all the time then the chances of them yelling at you are higher. Figuring out why your child is acting that way is the first step to correcting it. Here are some things to think about when dealing with your child when they are being disrespectful.
Age- You should think of the child’s age when dealing with the behaviors. Young children may not understand what they are doing is wrong. It is your job to tell them what they are doing is wrong and then show them what they should do to do it right. Start young showing children how to behave in a respectful way will help decrease the need to do it later.
What- What behaviors are your child is doing? Some behaviors, even though they are not acceptable, are age appropriate. These behaviors still need to be addressed.
When- When are they being disrespectful? Is the child hungry or tired? These things can play into the behaviors.
Where- Where are they misbehaving? Are they only doing it in public, at school, at home, or all the time? Depending on where they are acting out could help you understand what their motivation for the behavior is.
Why- When you look at the; what’s, when’s, and where’s it will help you figure out the why’s. If you are having a hard time figuring out why they are being disrespectful it could be as easy as attention. Sometimes children just want attention. If they feel like they aren’t getting enough attention then they may misbehave to get that attention. Bad attention is still attention.
How- Handle the behavior in a way that will help the child understand that it’s unacceptable. Then teach them what they should have done instead. Be respectful in the way you handle situation. Yelling and demeaning your child is not going to help your child be respectful. “How to Keep Your Cool When Your Kids Push Your Buttons” can help with ideas on how to stay calm while dealing with your disrespectful child.
Looking at the reason for why your child is being disrespectful can help you find the best way to correct the behavior. Keep in mind what is cute at two will not be cute at 13. It is much harder to teach a child to stop doing a behavior if they have been allowed to do it for years. Starting young will help your child understand how you expect them to behave. Being consistent is an important part of improving your child’s behavior.
Wiki How to do anything “How to Deal With Disrespectful Children” is another good resource.