Managing Difficult Behaviors
Children have a whole range of emotions, and it is often hardest to engage with children when they are experiencing challenging behaviors. Small children may hit, bite, or throw temper tantrums, whereas older children might be defiant, argumentative, or outright disrespectful. No matter where children are in their development, one thing doesn't change, and they need us to be present and supportive. It is essential to be prepared to help children organize their feelings and not take these moments as a personal defeat.
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Middle Childhood and Teen's Difficult Behaviors
Virtual Resources
Websites
You Can’t Change Your Defiant Teenage…but you can change how you parent! ADDitude Magazine parenting tips for working with defiant teens.
Hope for Parents of Defiant Teens: 6 Ways to Parent More Effectively. Empowering Parents provides parents a framework to examine their parenting strategies.
Help for Parents of Troubled Teens. Help Guide reviews typical teen behavior and warning signs of possible problematic behaviors of teens.
7 Smart Tips for Setting Boundaries. Center for Parent and Teen Communication reviews tips for setting rules and accountability for teens.
Podcasts
Quick and Dirty Tips Podcast, '6 Ways to Handle a Defiant Teen (Without Yelling).'
Grown and Flown review of ten parenting podcasts for parents of teens.
Additional Readings
Fact Sheets
Setting Rules with Teens from ChildWelfare.gov
Articles
How to Respond to Your Defiant Teen from Psychology Today.
Teenage Rebellion Isn't What it Used to Be - Here's How to Deal by Parents Magazine.
Teen Rebellion: Why Do They Rebel And How To Deal With It? review of rebellion and techniques on Mom Junction.The Secret to Changing Rebellious Teens blog on HuffPost.
Books
Parenting High Schools recommended reading list for parents of teens.
Videos
Shannon Crossbear advice for parents of teens.
Dr. Christian Cote, a renowned expert in anger management, shares how to de-escalate anyone who is out of control.
Young Children's Difficult Behaviors
Virtual Resources
Websites
Emotions and Self-Awareness. PBS Parents provides resources and tools for parents for children ages two to eight.
Creating Boundaries. Child Mind Institutes covers how to teach children about boundaries by building their empathy and self-awareness skills
How to Prevent Biting from Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center.
Managing Problem Behaviors at Home. Child Mind Institute gives advice on how to manage your child's defiant or problematic behaviors at home.
Seven Tips for Practicing Positive Discipline by PBS Kids.
Disciplining Your Child. Kids Health provides a brief overview of best practices for age-appropriate discipline.
Apps
CBC Parents reviews seven apps for managing problematic behaviors in children.
Podcasts
Seeing the Child Behind the Behaviorpodcast by Pre-K Teach and Play.
A Whole School Approach to Behavior Issues by NPR One MindShift Podcast series.
Additional Readings
Fact Sheets
Tips for Responding to Challenging Behavior in Young Children by Pyramid Equity Project.
Recommended Practices: Supporting Infants and Toddlers with Challenging Behavior from the Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior.
Articles
Helping Young Children Channel Their Aggression article by ZERO TO THREE.
Prevent a Power Struggle with a Toddler with These Key Phrases by Motherly Magazine.
Effective Discipline for Children journal article from Pediatrics and Children's Health.
Are Time-Outs Helpful or Harmful to Young Children? article by ZERO TO THREE.
Books
Parent Books review of books for children about managing their behavior.
Every Mom blog fifteen recommended books for parents about children with behavior challenges.
Videos
Early Childhood Videos presents possible reasons for children’s behavior and how to respond.
Tantrums, Defiance, Aggression—Oh My! from ZERO TO THREE.
Carla Butorac's tip for managing defiance in children.
Isolating, Struggling to Make Friends, and Introversion
It's critical for children and teenagers to feel like they belong to and are welcome members of their schools, homes, and peer groups. Children may isolate for a variety of reasons such as struggling to make friends or connections, being shy or introverted, or experiences stress and anxiety. It is important to talk to children to understand better their experiences of why they are withdrawing.
Electronic Resources
Websites
6 Ways to Help Your Preschoolers Connect with Other Kids by Understood.
Kids Who Need a Little Help to Make Friends. Child Mind Institute covers how to help shy kids or kids who struggle with social skills make friends by practicing social skills and meeting with your child's teacher.
Social Issues for Kids with Learning Problems. Child Mind Institute provides tips for supporting children with learning disabilities who struggle with social interactions.
How to Help Kids Make Friends: 10 Evidence-based tips by Parenting Science.
How to Help Your Child Speak Up in Class: This article covers how to help your child speak up in class.
Quiet Revolution. A website dedicated to parenting shy or introverted children.
Podcasts
How to Help Your Child Make Friends podcast by Connecting for Kids.
Making it easier for Kids to Manage Friendships podcast by Quirky Kids.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts podcast covers a multitude of topics for supporting quiet children, the science of introversion, and tips for caregivers.
Additional Readings
Articles
Should I Force My Lonely Child to Socialize More? Understood explore the nuance of when to push children to socialize.
8 Ways to Help Your Child Make Friends. Cleveland Clinic Pediatrics article.
How to Help Nurture the "Quiet Power" of Introverts. NPR Ed discusses how to make classrooms more friendly learning environments for quiet kids.
The Health Consequences of Social Isolation “It Hurts More Than You Think”. Guardian article exploring teenage isolation in the age of social media.
Teenagers on loneliness: ‘We want to talk to our parents. We need their guidance’. Executive summary of the negative consequence of teenage isolation.
Teens Who Seek Solitude May Know What's Best for Them. Science Daily article about understanding and exploring the reason for teenage isolation by debunking the myth it is always harmful.
Books
Growing Book by Book recommends these thirteen books for kids about making friends.
Mommy shorts books about friend-making.
Very Well Family recommendation of the top eight books for sky kids.
Videos
Dr. Robin Goodman shares tips for children's friend-making.
Video about supporting children through isolation and difficulty making friends.
TEDx talk by Susan Cain about the power of introverts.
Dr. Christian Cote, a renowned expert in anger management, shares how to de-escalate anyone who is out of control.