You love your children, and you want to do everything in your power to make them happy. You can buy them all the toys and nursery furniture in the world, but the truth is that keeping them happy is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you don’t understand why your child is behaving a certain way, or what is triggering the behavior. Connecting with your kids and knowing how to treat them in specific situations is very important for their happiness and well-being. Here are some tips that are going to help you understand your child’s behavior a little better.
Personality
Each child has a very individual personality, and they start to display it very early on. Some kids are energetic, curious, and brave. Others are shy and need more attention and comfort from the ones they love. It will not be hard to start seeing your child’s personality very early on. You have to learn how to treat them based on their unique personal characteristics, that way they feel accepted, and comforted. Sometimes this is difficult to do if you have more than one child and they have completely different personalities. Certain moms tend to relate to one child’s personality more than the other, and this could bring emotional issues.
Stage
Children go through different stages as they grow, and it can present certain challenges for moms to understand those stages and act accordingly. Many children start presenting signs independence very early on, wanting to do certain tasks by themselves, or maybe saying now to certain instructions that their parents give them. They may not be necessarily acting out, but simply trying to feel the accomplishment of making their own decisions. If you see that your child has a sense of independence, give them more responsibilities, or allow them to make certain decisions on their own. This will ensure that they develop the confidence they need in themselves and they feel that they can make personal decisions when the situation asks for it.
Circumstance
Sometimes the circumstance that a child is in will have an impact on their behavior at that time. If you put children in a room together for a certain period of time they may start acting out, following other children’s behavior. If they are in a group where there are unknown adults they might tend to act shyer, or even get scared. Taking them to a playground or a park will reveal a level of energy and excitement you probably haven’t seen them display in other circumstances.
Emotional Needs
Understanding your children’s behavior based on emotional needs is a crucial part of good parenting. The truth is that in the society we live in today, with so much work and so many responsibilities; create a perfect environment for children to be neglected. Sometimes the child that needs more special attention from mom will start acting out simply to get it. Some children bottle in their emotions and their needs, starting to develop serious emotional issues that could greatly affect them in the future. It is crucial to start noticing these signs right away before they create more serious damage.
The Key: Communication
The key to having a good understanding of your child’s behavior and personality is to have good communication with them. Many parents do communicate with their children the way they need to simply because they believe that all they have to do is tell their kids what to do. But a parent that really understands their child’s behavior has a strong line of communication with them, and takes the time to understand why the child is acting a certain way. A good model of communication involves open conversations, honesty, and being able to talk about any kind of feeling, doubt or concern that your child may have openly. Developing trust is crucial when it comes to having good communication and understating you child’s behavior.
These have just been a few tips that will help you understand and deal with your child’s behavior. Remember that if you get to really know your children and have strong lines of communication with them, they will certainly grow up happier and healthier.