Managing a Young Child’s Behaviours
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The following ideas suggest how to deal with a child’s undesirable behaviour, while allowing the parent/ carer not to be become too stressed.
Scenario: Your 2-year-old child likes to put things in the mouth
| Strategy | Child’s Behaviour | Parenting Response |
| Step 1: Apply empathy | Your child puts things from the floor in the mouth. | a. Accept your child wants to know more about the world by examining things in the mouth; at the same time apply Step 2. |
| Step 2a: Apply distraction | Ask your child to take object out of mouth or give it to you, but child refuses to follow instruction. | Gently take dirty object away, while offering a clean object/toy. Avoid argument, punishment or explanation. |
| Step 2b: Support self-efficacy | Ask your child to take object out of mouth or give it to you; child complies. | Praise your child for giving you the dirty toy. |
Remember that young children have a limited ability to understand the (health) consequences of their behaviours. Using simple words, demonstrating expected behaviours , and allowing opportunities for the children to practise across different situations are helpful ways for children to learn.