What is normal behavior for a child?
Normal behavior in children depends on the child’s age, personality, and physical and emotional development. A child’s behavior may be a problem if it doesn’t match the expectations of the family or if it is disruptive. Knowing what to expect from your child at each age will help you decide what is normal behavior. What can I do to change my child’s behavior? Children tend to continue a behavior when it is rewarded and stop a behavior when it is ignored. Consistency in your reaction to a behavior is important because rewarding and punishing the same behavior at different times confuses your child. When your child’s behavior is a problem, you have three choices: • Decide the behavior is not a problem because it’s appropriate to the child’s age and stage of development. • Attempt to stop the behavior, either by ignoring it or by punishing it. • Introduce a new behavior that you prefer. How do I stop misbehavior? The best way to stop unwanted behavior is to ignore it. This way works best
Normal behavior in children depends on the child’s age, personality, and physical and emotional development. A child’s behavior may be a problem if it doesn’t match the expectations of the family or if it is disruptive. Normal, or “good” behavior is usually determined by whether it’s socially, culturally and developmentally appropriate. Knowing what to expect from your child at each age will help you decide whether his or her behavior is normal.
