What Enables a Child to Act Disruptively?
By Rediet Abera
Why do we behave in the way we do? Are our actions a reflection of what we've seen when we were children, or is it a reaction to how we view our surroundings, people, and various emotions? Behavior is an important factor to be considered in a child’s development. According to the Children’s Hospital Association, disruptive behaviors in children are on the rise these days. How do kids develop undesirable behaviors? Many people, including myself, feel that a child displaying disruptive behavior is simply acting out; we neglect to determine the factors that may have led to the child's behavior. We may approach an issue in a different way if we understood why the child is behaving in a particular way. Healthy parenting, positive guidance, and improved understanding are tools parents can use to help their children.
Children learn through observing their surroundings, particularly their parents. Because parents spend so much time with their children, they observe and repeat what their parents do. If a child observes their parents expressing any emotion toward him or another person in a variety of ways, the child will imitate the behavior and mirror what they observe. Parents should be conscious of what they teach their children since they take up bad behaviors just like they pick up good behaviors. According to the article, “Parenting Practices and Child Disruptive Behavior Problems in Early Elementary School,” punitive interactions between parents and their children were linked to higher rates of all types of disruptive behavior in children. Parents of children who had high levels of oppositional behavior were found to have low levels of warm participation.
Parenting style must be supportive of a child’s healthy growth because the way parents discipline a child or the way they interact with their child influences the child’s future. “Studies have found that the authoritative parenting style is one of the most effective styles,” ( Zeltser, 2021). According to the article, the reason that the authoritative parenting style is considered as most effective is that children raised in this household are confident and are kids who have better social skills, and are capable of problem-solving.
There are different ways a parent can guide a child using authoritative parenting styles. The common ways are:
Explaining the reasons behind the rules in the household. This will allow the child to understand why and what rules he is following.
Teaching respect, A parent can easily teach their child how to be respectful to others by just saying "thank you" and thanking them back. This teaches children to value their efforts.
Giving positive feedback when a child does something nice or allowing a child to make mistakes stimulates the child and allows him to differentiate between good and bad.
Discipline a child using a variety of consequences if rules are not followed. This will assist the child in learning how to moderate his or her behavior and how to maintain positive actions. Etc.
Okay, let's say the parents performed an excellent job of guiding their child, and what happens if the child begins to exhibit undesirable behaviors? Isn't it challenging? As a child grows older, their parents will spend less time with them since they will spend more time at school, where they will be surrounded by children from various backgrounds. These many children from various backgrounds may have a positive or negative impact on the child. Parents must check in about their children's day, their friends, and what they've been up to at school. This will allow the parent to have a better understanding of the environment in which their children are growing up, and the parent will be able to easily assist them in making positive choices and choosing positive friends by demonstrating empathy and active listening.
References
Contributor, F. Z. (2021, October 5). Here’s what makes “authoritative parents” different from the rest—and why psychologists say it’s the best parenting style. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/05/child-psychologist-explains-why-authoritative-parenting-is-the-best-style-for-raising-smart-confident-kids.html#:~:text=Why%20experts%20agree%20authoritative%20parenting
Magensky, M. (2021, March 4). Behavioral disorders in children are up 40%; what doctors say needs to change. WHP. https://local21news.com/news/local/behavior-disorders-in-children-are-up-40-what-doctors-say-needs-to-change#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20from%20the
Stormshak, E. A., Bierman, K. L., McMahon, R. J., & Lengua, L. J. (2000). Parenting Practices and Child Disruptive Behavior Problems in Early Elementary School. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 29(1), 17–29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2764296/