Top 10 Tips to Prevent Aggressive Toddler Behavior

How to Control Child Aggressive Behavior

There are times when you want to treat your child with something special just because he/she behaved well. But, for most parents, the happiness is short-lived.

Toddlers act as little monsters most of the time, throwing tantrums at their parents without realizing where they are. Visit a mall and they’ll lie on the ground, furiously kicking their legs and crying their lungs out because you didn’t buy their “favorite” toy.

Such behavior is surely embrassaring for a parent and if repeated over and over again can really get on your nerves. This is why, it is important to teach your children good manners but of course, it won’t all happen in a jiffy!

Reconceptualising the Relationship

For starters, introduce the relationship of a kid and parents in a way that is understandable for the child. Yes, parents love their little ones with all their heart, but they need to maintain boundaries and limitations.

When a parent refuses for something asked by the child, he/she should know that that is because its best in their favor. No matter how hard you try, every kid goes through the “aggressive phase” in the beginning. If not dealt with care, aggression than becomes a part of their personality which might lead to problems later in life.

This is why, teachers at Mosaic Nursery in Dubai work along with parents to work on basic manners, control aggression in kids and provide them with the best early childhood education. Here is how you can prevent aggressive toddler behavior:

1. Set Rules and limits

Children aren’t born with the basic knowledge of right and wrong, rather have the urge to explore the world and satisfy their curiosity. This is why you’ll always find toddlers touching things and breaking stuff to understand what it was.

This is where you need to step in. set the house rules straight for your child. Tell them which place is “off limits” and which area is “theirs”. Allocate a separate room for kids to play so they can have their own time for exploration and drama.

2. Talk to them

When your child starts throwing tantrums at you, do not snap right away. Let them cry for a few minutes and then talk to them. This is what most Dubai preschools practice to control an aggressive child. Grab their attention with a topic of their interest and then ask what was bothering them. Remember, communication is the key!

3. Positive reinforcement

Rather than screaming your lungs out a kid who is already acting aggressive, control your temper and choose the right words to stop him/her from behaving bad. Offer them their favorite candy or toy if they behave well and ask them politely to not kick or cry. Positive reinforcement will help build self-control in toddlers who lose their temper quickly.

4. Building self-control

When your child is in “good” mood, talk to them. Talk to them about what triggers their anger and how can they control it. Maybe ask them to share their problems with you when they feel furious or grab a glass of their favorite juice and forget it all.

Even most preschools emphasize teaching toddler’s self-control which can only be started at an early age.

5. Interfere when needed

When you find the child finding over a small issues, do not interfere and let him/her deal with it on its own. But if the fight increases to a point that the kids start beating one another, than it is time to interfere. Separate them and take them to different rooms until both have calmed down. Than talk to them and make them realize it was wrong.

6. Say a firm “No”

When your toddler is doing something wrong say a firm “no”. Be firm in your tone and body language so that the kid knows what he/she was doing was wrong and shall not be repeated again.

7. Be patient

Dealing with an aggressive child isn’t easy. It can exhaust you both mentally and physically both, but you need to stay calm. Be patient in your act because a child learns more from observing other’s behaviors.

8. Do not encourage aggressive

In most of the household, children especially boys are asked to act tough all the time. Not letting you heart cry or hiding emotions leads to aggression in children. So, rather than asking your children to act up strong ask them to share what’s on their mind, which helps them in gaining self-control.

9. Give Affection

Is your child angry? Give him/her a hug right away! A little play and act of affection can surely help the kids calm down.

10. Find a Creative Outlet

Does your kid love drawing? Is your toddler interested in painting? Whatever he/she likes, offer them their creative tools when angry which will distract them, calming them down.