Autism Behavior Solutions
Children crave attention . Sometimes it doesn ’ t matter whether it is positive attention ( praise , hugs , approving or interested look ) or negative attention ( shouting , slapping , or angry eye contact ). The motivating factor is that the attention is sincere and accompanied by a pronounced emotional reaction from the parent .
Unfortunately , it is often easier for a child to achieve a negative reaction than a positive one . It is often easier to offend a peer than to engage him / her with something interesting . It is easier to annoy a tired dad after work than to interact with him in a meaningful way , geared towards getting a kind word from him .
Negative behavior , not just tantrums , should not receive attention . If , however , there is a chance that during a tantrum a child will cause injury to him / herself , you must intervene . This should be done in silence . After the child calms down , you can give him / her attention .
Provide plenty of positive attention to a child and teach him / her to attract attention through positive behavior . By ignoring negative behavior and reinforcing positive behavior , you are teaching your child that to act in a desirable way to gain attention .
Summing-up
Many parents have a hard time ignoring tantrums . By preparing in advance , parents are more likely to act with consistency and calmness .
In conclusion , I want to remind parents of a quote from Professor Greene ’ s book : “ The child will not throw tantrums if they cease to fulfill their functional purpose .”
Donald Mena is a psychologist and a writer who is passionate about parenting , behavioral research , and personality development .
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