Understanding misbehaviour
All children misbehave from time to time.
It is the job of parents and guardians to respond to this misbehaviour. Although a child’s misbehaviour can be frustrating, irritating and sometimes hard to understand, it is important that parents see this as an opportunity for their child to learn and grow.
We often forget that children don’t misbehave because they want to irritate us. Misbehaviour is most often caused by the need for attention and love, physical problems (fatigue, hungry), or because they have not learnt what they are doing is wrong. It is therefore very important when responding to misbehaviour that parents ask the question, why is my child misbehaving?
According to the “The five love languages of children”, responding to misbehaviour shouldn’t only be about punishment. Spend more time with your children trying to teach them about right and wrong behaviour. This helps teach your child, but also creates an atmosphere of love and interest. This can eliminate the need for love-seeking negative behaviour.
At the same time, when responding to negative behaviour with punishment, it is important to aim for the elimination of the behaviour and leaving a child feeling loved. This demands that parents understand their children, and find the right punishment for them. Remember every child is different.
