Children can start to become aggressive at a young age (terrible two’s perhaps) due to a number of factors. They may be trying to become more independent but they don’t have the skills to do what they want, or they may be frustrated at not being able to communicate or understand their feelings. They may also be pushing their boundaries and trying their luck to see how far mom and dad will let them go, or they may simply be trying to get attention or to manipulate a situation to get their own way. Frustrations and anger can then come out in the form of hitting, biting, screaming or kicking or crying.
So how do you stop aggression?
1. Find out what sorts of things are making them angry for example, not liking to share their toys
2. Teach them to handle their frustration, for example teach them how to share
3. Help them to become more independent, such as showing them how to do things for themselves by breaking down the task into little chunks (like instructions in a recipe book)
4. Nip problems in the bud, if you can see aggression and frustration building up, jump in and re-direct their attention and move them away from the problem
5. Talk with your child and help them too know what is expected of them, for example tell them before hand that, when they are with their friends you want them to share their toys
6. Set boundaries that they know are there, a child who knows how far they can go is more likely to accept the rules and keep within them
7. Keep them busy and give them attention to keep them stimulated and happy
8. Ignore tantrums and loud outburst if it is safe as they are less likely to do it, if they get no attention for it
9. Help your child to understand their feelings, for example when they seem to be looking cross say to them, ‘you seem cross’, then they will start to understand what can be frightening emotions and they will eventually be able to tell you that they feel cross.
I am sure that if you use these tips you will reduce your child’s aggressive behaviour, If you would like more tips on how to improve your child’s behaviour, you can download my book, ‘A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Behaviour’, in minutes here…. http://bit.ly/PGCBBOOK
Best wishesRuth
