Responsive Parenting
STOP: CONSIDER WHAT YOUR CHILD IS TRYING TO TELL YOU BEFORE YOU RESPOND
Children are not created equally. Each child is different and will respond to situations differently. Some children, too much noise, too big of a crowd, or even too strong of a smell can cause them to become upset, stressed, or agitated. Too much sugar, not enough sleep, or not enough exercise can also cause them to become upset.
You are their parent and therefore the expert in knowing what is best for your child. As you become more aware of what is upsetting to your child you can avoid, minimize, or better prepare for this.
There are some things that you can consider…
What in their behavior told you they were feeling this way?
What was happening at the time that may have caused them to feel like this?
Is there anything you could do to prevent this in the future?
It is important that children feel safe and are able to communicate their feelings and needs to those around them. Sometimes they may not understand or know how to communicate what they are feeling. They may not have developed the vocabulary to say how they feel.
As children grow, they begin to assert themselves and want to become more independent. Sometimes this will be seen in your child’s behavior as they are testing the limits and figuring out what they can and cannot do.
As a parent, it is your role to support and teach them the skills they need to express their feelings appropriately. They will need to learn what is appropriate and what isn’t. If your child is misbehaving, it is important that you learn to look beyond the behavior and try to understand what they are trying to tell you and what emotion they are experiencing that is causing them to behave this way.
When you can understand the emotion, you can respond to both the feeling and the behavior. This will allow you to support and connect with your child and help them develop a more appropriate way to manage and communicate their feelings. This is called responsive parenting.
