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How to Brat-Proof Your Child
Bratty kids. They bark orders, refuse to share--and are raised by clueless parents who have tons of money, spoil them rotten, and don't spend a minute on discipline, right?
Not necessarily. Even loving, attentive parents can wind up with a stubborn brat. "I've worked hard to prevent my 5-year-old, Tanner, from being greedy," says Kim Ratcliff, of Los Gatos, California. "So it was really discouraging to see him at a recent birthday celebration, with a party favor in one hand and a bag of candy in the other, screaming because I wouldn't go to the store to buy the toy the birthday boy got."
"Fortunately, typical bratty behavior is very curable," says Sal Severe, Ph.D., author of How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too! and a Parents adviser. When a child behaves like Angelica on Rugrats, it's usually because such antics get her what she wants. But once those tactics stop working, she'll give them up.
Changing your child's behavior patterns requires determination, introspection, and patience; in fact, it takes at least three weeks to break a habit or establish a new one, Dr. Severe says. But taking the bull by the horns is worth it, because kids who are demanding and self-centered have difficulty making friends. And teens who've been overindulged as kids are more likely to use drugs, according to a study by Harvard psychologist Dan Kindlon, Ph.D., author of Too Much of a Good Thing.
Be prepared for your child to balk when you start being less lenient--but stand firm. If your child were about to stick his finger in an electrical outlet, wouldn't you do whatever was necessary to stop him? "What we do to protect a toddler from danger often makes him cry, but the dangers aren't as immediate when our kids are older, so we tend to give in more," Dr. Kindlon says. Here are five classic profiles of brattiness, along with expert advice about how to break the cycle.
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This is a great read. I recently read a post about bullying and the author ( and founder of the online community for parents raising boys Raisingboysworld.com) sited some tips like reminding your child that going to an adult is okay, and that larger circles of friends are less apt to being bullied so encouraging kids to have more playdates is a good way to avoid bullying. Here's her post: http://mothersraisingboys.com/?p=471
11/7/2011 02:52:21 PM Report AbuseLoved it. My kid seems to be a little of every catagory. The alternatives seem feasibe and needs our behaviour modification.
11/3/2011 10:52:19 AM Report AbuseI loved it! :) I have been fining myself in these situations with my 5 year old and these seemed to be very helpful tips! !
4/14/2011 12:44:29 PM Report AbuseA really good book to read is by Dr Ross Greene, Lost at School , this deals with children with Behavioral issues.. a good read, for parents, teachers alike.
3/31/2011 02:49:24 PM Report AbuseCorinne, that is a ridiculous statement and assumption about living in a rent home. What was your point of even posting that stupid comment?
3/17/2011 02:07:32 PM Report AbuseFirst thing you can do is drop the term brat-it is not a word that you should use when describing children.
3/1/2011 08:39:41 AM Report AbuseThere are some helpful tips here. My 2, 3 and 5 yr olds (boys) portray a trait or two described in the article. Before falling to wits end I'll certainly take a bit of this advice and tweak it to fit my parenting style. Thank you.
2/28/2011 01:59:03 PM Report AbuseI thought it was pretty discriminatory to make the comment about biting your tongue when your mother-in-law visits. It's sad that, as women, we continue to perpetuate that image of mothers-in-law. Anyone who has in-laws knows that either or both of them can be pains - and they both can be great.
1/24/2011 10:31:50 AM Report AbuseThat is completely ridiculous!
12/26/2010 04:39:38 PM Report Abuse@ Joan about Corrinne I know what its like first hand raising a kid in a rented home that has a large community your child has all these associates to interact with that has a lot of different personalities. Which may cause a kid to be more reactive than proactive. It depenes on the enviroenment, at the end of the day if your buying your home and its not paid off your really renting. Renting and Mortagage really has the same meaning just spelled different.
12/18/2010 02:05:13 PM Report Abusevery helpful...
12/18/2010 06:48:20 AM Report AbuseAs a parent, I think we need to be aware of common behavioral problems children experience as they age. I recently read a study by the home loan academy called the impact renting has on kids. Surprisingly, there are a lot of negative effects that renting can have on a child's mental and physical health, such as behavioral problems and the study found that kids in rented homes are more likely to become pregnant in their teens.
10/20/2010 01:34:51 PM Report Abusevery good advice I found very helpful
10/16/2010 06:10:46 PM Report AbuseVery good read indeed and very helpful too.
10/15/2010 09:44:10 AM Report Abusevery negative title-totally turned me off.
6/7/2010 10:11:29 AM Report Abusegood read
11/1/2009 07:14:40 PM Report Abuse