Have you ever caught yourself in the middle of a screaming match with your two or three year old? Both of you are red in the face, with tears flowing down your face. You want nothing more than peace and quiet, and it seems that the only thing that your child wants is to test every last nerve in your body.Ozwad
The first thing that you must realize is that kids that lash out do it for a reason. Remember that you are the adult. Considering that they do not have the capacity to wake up in the morning and make a conscious decision to make your life a living hell, you need to get on their level. If you are reading this, I am assuming that you need to get there fast.
When you have kids that lash out, you have to determine the “why” first. Ask yourself why your bundle of joy is now hurling toys at your head and then laughing at you as you try to put him or her in timeout. Considering that I’ve become the master of dodge, dip, duck, and dive, I understand that you are at your wits end. Kids that lash out are usually doing it for one of five reasons. Bless you if it’s more than one.
Reason #1 – Kids want our attention. Let me repeat. Kids want our attention! As their parent, you are the only one (or two if you have a significant other) who shares that special bond of the parent/child relationship.
Reason #2 – Kids experience stress too. Children lashing out at their parents are an indicator that there is a greater problem within the household. Divorce rates have skyrocketed and unemployment is at the highest it’s been in decades. Kids are sensitive to their environments and your emotions.
Reason #3 – Here’s a simple cause for having kids that lash out; they are hungry. Thirst goes along with this as well. Feed and water your children! All joking aside, sometimes it just boils down to their basic needs. There are times we get so busy that we forget the little things.
Reason #4 – Kids need clear boundaries. With kids, muddy lines lead to fussy children.
Drum roll please…
Reason #5– CONTROL! You have it and they want it. Just like animals in the wild, kids will test the alpha male or female. You are faced with the often not-so-fun task of being the pack leader.
I apologize for getting a little short-winded towards the end. What do you expect? I have a toddler running around too. Sorry. I have to make jokes sometimes to keep from crying. I do, however, realize that parenting is not always something to laugh at. Hopefully, I’ve given you a little insight into “THEIR” world. Go through the items above and see if they help you deal with your pain in the… I mean bundle of joy.