Stop your kid from turning into a brat
CHILDREN say the darnedest things and oftentimes may cross the parental border and act like spoiled brats.
This type of behaviour isn’t limited to any form of social stratum or class, as any parent can be faced with the dilemma of a child being bratty.
But how can you stop them from fully adopting this form of behaviour?
Dr Pearnel Bell, clinical psychologist, said children are gifts given to us by God to nurture and bring up according to His will, and if we want to bring up wholesome children we need to instil discipline by teaching them appropriate behaviour.
“Children should be taught moral conduct from very early — not to steal, tell lies, to be kind, learn to share, and so on. Parents should first inculcate in their hearts these moral dictates, and then set an example for their children. Parents must be the example, as children will learn by example,” she said.
Dr Bell added that children should be given boundaries, such as a specific bedtime, time for play, and time for other activities in order to teach them self-regulating skills.
She also said children should be allowed to express their emotions and learn to develop emotional intelligence, but parents should help in facilitating this so children can learn appropriate ways of responding.
Dr Bell said children should never be treated like little adults, as it sets the stage for inappropriate behaviours that could border on indiscipline and reflect ‘brattiness’.
“Parents should continue to provide proper guidelines on appropriate behaviours consistently. Children should be disciplined in love, and should be reasoned with to foster good behaviour,” she said. Additionally, the clinical psychologist said children should learn that their wishes cannot be fulfilled all the time. They should be helped to understand constraints so that they do not end up wanting instant gratification. “The key things parents should try to instil is discipline in love, setting boundaries, helping children self-regulate, and teaching emotional intelligence,” she said.
