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Several parents find it utterly exhausting to deal with stubborn children. Take a look at a few methods that such parents can use to navigate the challenge better.
Reward good behaviour to encourage positive actions.
Parenthood comes with a great deal of challenges. There are no predefined strategies for raising children, as each child is unique and so are the circumstances in which they grow up. This makes it difficult for parents to figure out suitable ways to deal with their young ones, especially if the child is stubborn.
Each child is born with a unique temperament. As such, it is important to understand that stubbornness is a natural human trait and that it can reflect in a child’s behaviour at any stage of their childhood. Stubbornness in a child can stem from a number of factors. These may include a yearning for independence, unfulfilled emotional needs, or a desire to be assertive.
Stubbornness may also actually be a child’s response mechanism towards poorly established boundaries. Hence, it is pertinent that parents struggling with a stubborn child use upbringing methods that feel less confrontational and more cooperative.
Give choices: Providing a stubborn kid with agreeable choices tends to give them the impression that they are in control of the situation, making them less likely to challenge the authority of their parents.
Be in charge of your reactions: Don’t let your child’s acts of rebellion elicit an angry reaction from you. If you find yourself in such a situation, try to deal with it using logic rather than a raised voice. Using a calm demeanour in such situations is key to understanding the real reason behind the child’s behaviour.
Reward good behaviour: Encouraging good behaviour with small rewards may prove beneficial in dealing with your child’s stubborn attitude in the long run.
Say ‘no’ less often: It is only mature to not treat your connection with your child as a constant power struggle. You can try saying ‘no’ less often in response to your child’s demands. However, you should stand your ground when the requests are unreasonable.
Well-defined boundaries: Many children tend to act in an unnecessarily assertive manner when well-defined boundaries are absent. Hence, parents must establish clear boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. You should also try to calmly explain to your child why throwing tantrums in a social setting may be wrong.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
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