All toddlers make a particular amount of fuss when they are told to do different things such as sit in one place, eat their food, or get ready for bed. There are those who children who comply, while there are those whose ‘no’ is louder and regular. Their tantrums are unbearable and may last longer than other kids of their age. Parents with such children might be working harder than others to ensure the young ones accomplish basic tasks without ruining everything on their way. Even though dealing with difficult toddler behaviors can be painful, it doesn’t have to be as challenging as you think.
How to Identify Difficult Toddler Behavior
In case you believe you have a difficult child, below are a few behavior traits you should look out for:
- Fussiness: fussiness extends to things like eating, wearing clothes, taking a walk, taking a bath, and more.
- Hurting others: In case your child throws things at people and hurts them in the process, then you have a difficult toddler.
- Defiance: Difficult children refuse to follow instructions and are defiant in all aspects of life.
- Tantrums: Children throw tantrums once in a while, but frequent tantrums on a daily basis is a characteristic trait of difficult children.
Now that you have noticed the traits above in your child, below are a few practical things you can do to deal with this behavior:
Take preventive measures
One of the best ways to deal with difficult toddler behaviors is to constantly use your knowledge of your kid’s temperaments to predict this behavior and prevent blowups. For instance, if you know, he gets energetic at a particular time, schedule your trips to the store or to the doctor. Similarly, if he likes pulling things out of the lockers when angry, lock them up at all times. Taming aggressive behavior from the outset is one of the surest ways of dealing with a difficult child.
Be in control
No matter how tired you are, don’t delegate control of a difficult child to anyone else. Even if you are the busier parent around, don’t give in to tantrums of bad behavior. When you give in, the child will identify your weakness and take advantage of it. Don’t shy from tuning into your child’s powerlessness and gain control.
Listen to your child
Often, toddlers become difficult to get attention. Therefore, when children express their sadness or joy, parents should listen and reciprocate so that they know they are being heard. For instance, if your child tells you he wants to take a toy from the store, explain to him why he shouldn’t get it and promise to get it for him when you can.
Empathize
For a fact, your child cannot comprehend the emotional storm running through his/her mind, but you can. When dealing with a difficult child, therefore, it pays to tune into your child’s feelings and let them feel you understand them better. For instance, you can use lines such as “I know you want to watch this program, but you have to go to bed. Empathy is a smart skill you can use to manage difficult behavior.
Reward Good Behavior
Only use this strategy when your child has behaved well at a time good behavior is most needed. For instance, if your difficult child promises to play well with other kids and not hurt them, and he does, treat him with his favorite snack. This will help ease down other bad behaviors in the long run.