How to Take Care of Naughty Kids

Life

Raising children can be very challenging. Some children are very naughty and disobedient all the time, while other children are only naughty on occasion. Keep in mind when dealing with a naughty child that you should recognize that it is the behavior that is bothering you rather than the child. Take steps to create boundaries, deal with tantrums, deal with bad behavior, and reinforce good behavior with the child, and you will be raising well-behaved children in no time. If you are taking care of children that are not your own, you can take steps to teach them to behave without undermining the authority of their parents.

Part 1 Creating Structure

1.Draft a set of rules. This set of rules should be written with consideration of your child’s age. Younger children will need simple, straightforward rules, while older children can begin to understand more complex rules, that may be flexible depending on the situation. The list should prioritize those rules that are based on the naughty behaviors your children is demonstrating.

For example, if your child behaves aggressively when they don’t get what they want by hitting you or someone else, then you should draft a rule that makes this behavior strictly forbidden.
The list of rules should include each of the things you expect your child to do each day, which will also depend on their age. This might include brushing their teeth, washing their face, and combing their hair when they get up in the morning, making their bed, putting away their toys, etc.
Sit down and discuss this list of rules with your child so that they know what is expected of them.

2.Attach immediate consequences to each rule. Not only do you need to have a clear set of rules that your child can understand and follow, you should also make clear what will happen when one of the rules is broken. If a higher priority rule is broken (e.g. if your child hits you), then the consequence should be more severe than if the child breaks a less high priority rule (e.g. doesn’t make up the bed in the morning).

You should never use physical violence as a means of punishing your child. Not only does hitting or spanking your child damage your relationship with your child, it shows them that they can get smaller, weaker people to give them what they want by hitting them.
Make sure to discuss each rule together with the consequence that will occur if they break the rule. This way, they understand what to expect.

3.Give them things to do. Children who are bored will find ways to entertain themselves. While it is not necessarily a bad thing for children to use their own imaginations when it comes to entertaining themselves, it can also cause them to act out and behave in ways they know they shouldn’t.
For example, if your child will be home all day long, try to schedule different activities. Let them color with a coloring book and crayons for an hour while you do what you need to do. Spend some time playing together with them, ask them to help you make lunch, or do some finger painting outside together. It’s good to give them some time to play by themselves, but it is also important to spend time playing together and nurturing your relationship.

4.Have a schedule. In addition to giving your child plenty of tasks, you should have a routine that you stick to each day, especially if your child is not yet of school age. This will help them understand what to expect and when to expect it, reducing the likelihood of boredom or frustration.

For example, have them take their nap at the same time each day. Make sure to be consistent, too. Have them take their bath each day at the same time. For example, before bed, which will also signal to them that it’s time to wind down.

5.Consider the age of the child. Obviously, as the child grows, you will have to re-think the rules and the consequences attached to them. Therefore, it is important to remember that younger children won’t be able to process complex rules with contingencies, while older children can be given a bit more control and independence.

Children between 0 and 2 will not be able to understand a set of rules. Instead, if there are certain things in the home you want them to avoid, it is best to keep those things up and out of reach of the children. If they get into something you want them to stay away from, gently but firmly tell them, “No,” and distract them with another activity. You can use timeouts of a few minutes to help them associate certain actions (such as biting or hitting) with a negative consequence. Timeouts of longer than a few minutes will not be effective for children at this young age.
Children between the ages of 3 and 5 will be able to understand connections between what they are doing and the consequence that follows. If the child misbehaves, be sure to explain to them why they should not do what they did before you give them the consequence. Explain what they did wrong, and explain what will happen if they do it again. The next time it happens, remind them of what you told them, and apply the consequence.
From ages 6 until 8, timeouts are a good way of enacting discipline. Make a designated timeout spot that will be free from any distractions (such as TV, computer, etc.) so that the child will need to think about what they did. Again, remember not to take it to the extreme. A timeout of 6 to 8 minutes should be sufficient. If the child is throwing a tantrum, tell them they will remain in the timeout until they are able to calm themselves.
Beginning at the age of 9 up until 12, you can begin to use natural punishments, in addition to enacted discipline, such as grounding them for a week if they break a rule. For example, if your child failed to do his homework for bed, you should let him learn what happens when he returns to school without doing his homework before intervening. Beginning at this age, children should begin to learn for themselves what happens when they don’t do what is asked of them.
If your child is a teenager, you will need to re-establish the rules so that they can exercise their own control and independence, within reason. If a rule is broken, there should still be consequences, but as before, it is important to explain to them why they should stick to the rules. For example, if they come home past curfew without calling, explain why that is very worrisome for you.

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