We’re not going to buy this cereal, and if you don’t stop we’ll have to leave.” If your child doesn’t stop, follow through and take him out of the store.ģ. If you’re at the grocery store and your toddler is having a tantrum and kicking at the shopping cart because you’re not buying the cereal he likes, you can say, “You’re making too much noise. Remove your child from the situation: Sometimes you need to take your child out of a situation to help him regain control of his emotions. You need to spend some time by yourself and calm down.” Do your best to make sure you respond the same way every time.Ģ. If your child has a problem with hitting his siblings, respond with something like, “Hitting is not OK. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, try to be consistent. You can’t ignore behaviors one day and respond by screaming at your child the next. Be Consistent: For younger kids, the key is to be consistent. Here are some tips to help you at various stages of your child’s life. The way you handle aggression with your child may change from age to age, stage to stage. It may feel daunting because of the demands that are placed on you every day, but if you don’t respond to your kid’s aggressive behavior, things will only get worse. That’s true for parents and it’s true for kids.
As my husband James Lehman would say, “Parents need to be empowered in order to be successful.” I truly believe that at any time in our lives, we are all capable of change. Aggressive behaviors need to change-and despite the labels, parents need to change, too.