The Parentologist

Dr. Kim

Want Your Kids to Behave? Try These 5 Simple Things

The holiday season is quickly approaching, which means that your kids will be home with you for weeks while they are on school break. That being said, they will be spending a lot more time with you, and are going to be more susceptible to unwanted behaviors. From my professional expertise and personal experience, make sure these five parenting modifications are in place for a smooth time together. And these tips work year-round, so I recommend implementing them all year long!

 

 

Watch What Your Kids Eat

 

 

Nutrition affects mood and behavior. Make sure you limit sugar, processed foods, and synthetic dyes. I was out and about the other day and I saw a parent giving their two-year-old soda. Honestly, I cringed. I kept thinking why? I try never to judge another parent because I know how tough it can be, but in this case, I so badly wanted to say something. Let me share a little more. This parent’s four year-old was on the floor yelling and kicking having a meltdown while the parent was offering their younger child the soda. Giving that kind of sugar to such a young child is going to have physical, social, and emotional implications. There has been so much research on excessive sugar use, synthetic dyes, and processed foods being linked to undesirable behaviors and worsening symptoms related to ADHD and Autism, but honestly for all kids, why would you want to contribute to that?

 

Limit Their Screen Time and What They Absorb

 

Limit your child’s screen time. There are correlations between excessive tech use and behavior. I know you have a lot to do, and your child sits quietly playing video games, scrolling on their iPad, and watching television, but it will hurt you and them in the long run. Research has shown that too much tech time will actually worsen behaviors and attention span if given too much of it. And if your child has free reign to watch whatever they want, whenever they want, they are probably being exposed to material that isn’t age appropriate and can also worsen behaviors. So, in addition to setting limits, make sure you know what content they are absorbing. Being a child behavior expert, I can spot a child from a mile away that has unlimited tech boundaries and access to content that isn’t appropriate. I can tell quickly by their behavior, and it’s always worse compared to other children. I can also spot a child from a mile away that watches R-rated movies and plays V-video games at a young age, that isn’t appropriate for them developmentally. So please limit your child’s screen time and make sure you know what content they are absorbing.

Make Sure They Have Healthy Sleep Habits

 

When parents come to me about their child’s behavior, one of the first questions I ask is how are they sleeping? A healthy night’s sleep has so much weight on how a child behaves. Does your child have a consistent sleep schedule and routine? Do they stay up super late and get up early or do they get an adequate and sufficient amount of sleep? Do they eat sugar, carbs, or have screen time right before bed? Do you engage in a slow down routine? Inadequate sleep also contributes to night terrors, nightmares, anxiety, and ADHD related symptoms.

Watch Your Own Phone Behaviors

 

How much time do you spend on your own phone? There is a direct correlation on how much time you are on your phone and your child’s behavior. Do an experiment and see yourself. I guarantee if you spend less time on your phone when your child is present, they will have more positive behaviors. Children will naturally want to connect with their caregivers, and if we deny them of that (even if we are physically present), they will react and revolt. Being a good role model for tech use is very important, so limit your own screen time and spend more time connecting with your child if you want to avoid attention seeking behaviors.

Get Outside and Play!

 

Get outside and play. This is beneficial for both parent and child. Fresh air and unrestricted play time helps with positive mood and behavior. And if you can getting one-on-one time with each child, that is most beneficial. Honestly, I have seen it firsthand so many times. The more a parent lets go of their inhibitions and plays with their child, the more the child behaves. The more present you are with your child the better their behaviors. So get outside as much as you can and play, play, play! If you do, you will see a big difference in our child’s behavior (and yours too!)

Leave a Reply

My Instagram

Get the Inside Scoop