Understanding children’s misbehaviour includes understanding the needs of our children
Our children need:
- To be given opportunities to express autonomy / independence
- To be treated with respect
- To be loved and cared for
We need to:
- Find the source of children’s misbehaviour and address it
- Address the root instead of the symptoms
- Behaviours don’t occur in a vacuum
- Be reflective instead of reactive
Children misbehave for a reason
- We need to ask: Why did the child do that? What is he/she trying to accomplish?
- If it was accidental or the child didn’t know that it is unacceptable, then is misbehaviour?
- Misbehaviour is deliberate disobedience to a reasonable limit expected/asked of them to follow
Six main reasons for misbehaviour
- Rewarded for misbehaviour
- Copy parents or other adults
- Test whether rules will be enforced
- Assert themselves and independence
- Protect themselves
- Feel bad about themselves