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Being a parent is great. You get to shape a tiny human into a responsible adult by instilling different values and principles in them. You are your children’s role model, so you have to be on your best behavior, which can be challenging. Anyone who is a parent will agree that while it’s awesome to be a parent, it’s not always easy. You have to keep a check on your kids’ behaviors, manners, and general attitude towards life. It’s a huge responsibility and needs patience, awareness, and attention. Because who they grow up to be can be a reflection of your parenting skills. So, here are some behaviors of your child that you should not ignore as they could be dangerous:
Sibling Rivalry
You might think it’s weird that sibling rivalry is on the list because it’s oh-so-common. But here, we are not talking about small fights like who gets the television remote or eats the bigger piece of the pie. But we are referring to conflicts that involve bullying, name-calling, or physically harming one another. Do not avoid them. Find the root of the problem and teach your kids to protect, respect, and love each other. Encourage them to spend quality time with each other to build a strong and healthy relationship.
Ignoring Someone’s Bad Deeds
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Sure, no one likes a tattletale but keeping quiet about someone’s bad deeds could be dangerous. Tell your child the difference between being a blabbermouth and being vigilant. When your child comes to you with an incident they witnessed, withhold all judgment and listen intently. You can then come up with a solution together.
Being Disrespectful
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Respect is an important virtue. Teach your kids to be respectful to every living form, not just elders. They have to learn to treat peers, teachers, friends, animals, and younger people with respect. Watch out for their disrespectful behavior and find out the underlying cause for it. If your child fails to understand or obey you about being respectful, take away certain privileges to teach them that their actions have consequences. Ignoring disrespectful behaviors can lead to severe behavioral problems as they grow up.
Stealing, Robbing, Theft
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Any form of stealing is unacceptable. If your child has stolen something for the first time, you might be tempted to lose your calm and yell at them. However, avoid snapping at them. Explain why it’s wrong to steal and warn them that there will be grave consequences if they repeat it. If the problem persists, consult a medical professional as it could be a serious mental health disorder like kleptomania (1).
Whining
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Whining is a habit that is hard to break. Your kids might whine about trying and getting what they want once you’ve said no and denied what they’ve asked for. But if they realize that it works, they might resort to it all the time. Therefore, ensure that you do not encourage your kids’ whining and stop it from an early age. Discuss it with your kids and let them know that whining is not acceptable. Teach your kids that they have to speak in a normal voice and don’t give in to their whining. If they want something, they have to ask you for it in a normal tone of voice and be polite while doing so.
Being Rude
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Teaching kids good manners is essential for their well-being. Saying “thank you” and “sorry” are not just words that reflect politeness; it shows kids that practicing good manners is essential. However, if you catch your little ones being rude, check them. Find out why they are exuding rudeness and correct them. Let them know that it’s not okay to mistreat someone. Most importantly, practice what you preach. Your kids learn a lot from observing you. They model your behavior so make sure that you are setting a good example.
Being Dishonest
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It’s not unnatural for a child to lie. Every kid has lied to someone at least once in their life. But these behaviors should not be ignored. When you catch your child in a lie, you might be tempted to react harshly and reprimand them in a way that might not be helpful entirely. However, try to stay calm and think of appropriate punishment. Explain to your child why it’s essential to be honest and trustworthy. If the problem persists, you may have to consult a specialist to help your kid learn that dishonest behavior is unacceptable.
Raising a child is a huge responsibility. It doesn’t end with parents providing primary care, education, and food. It’s your responsibility to bring up your child with a good value system so that they grow into adults that contribute positively to society. Therefore, correct your kids when required and lead them on to the right path. Do not ignore their negative behaviors that could brew into severe problems in the future. How many of these behaviors have you noticed in your child? Let us know in the comments below how you handled it!
