Do You React or Respond to Your Child?

If you’ve ever yelled “stop being bad” at your child in a moment of frustration, you’re not alone. 
 
Sometimes as parents you get so irritated by whatever your kids are doing that you don’t know what to say, or you react out of anger. 
 
It happens. 
 
And when it does, the best thing you can do is to apologize to your child and reconnect with them. 
 
I also want to note that yelling at your child will only continue to fuel your frustration because your child is likely to become even more elevated and may act out more. 
 
My goal is to empower you to know how to respond so that you don’t get to the point where you are yelling and saying things you wish you hadn’t. 
 
When your child is misbehaving, the easiest thing to do is clearly communicate what you would like them to stop doing or do instead.
 
But it’s also important to consider why they might be acting in a way you wouldn’t prefer. 
 
It’s important to help them manage their behavior while also considering the following. 
 
1. They might be hungry for a snack. 
 
2. They might be stir-crazy from sitting at a desk all day and need to play and move their body. 
 
3. They might be overstimulated with all the lights and sounds and millions of other shoppers navigating the small aisles. 
 
4. They may be feeling stressed because their daily routine was thrown off. 
 
Consider these things while enforcing boundaries and keeping your child safe. You might realize that your child is not intentionally misbehaving, rather they have some needs that you can help meet. 

Coach Benjamin Mizrahi. Educator. Learning Specialist. Family Coach. Father. Husband.    

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