What to Do With A Bratty Kid

Let's face it. There is nothing worse then your bratty little kid throwing a tantrum in public. It makes you wonder what kind of monster he or she will grow up to be. Sometime you can see a bully or master manipulator about to flower. It can be unpleasant.

Some bad behavior is normal. Toddlers always hit each other and shove each other around. It is also normal for them to grab things whenever they can. However it is not normal for a six year old to be doing the same things. Maturity is growing out of the bad behaviors associated with being a toddler.

A toddler that pushes another might seem like a bully but this is normal behavior. However if an eight year old does it then it is time to show some discipline. Step in and stop the behavior.

There are lots of reasons a kid can be badly behaved and not all of them are your fault. You can gently encourage your child to play nicely with other children and punish him or her if they are violent, grabby or pushy. Explain all about behavior in your best baby talk. This will help them learn how to mature into a nice six year old.

Whiny toddlers can grow up to be rude teenagers. It is okay for a toddler to think they are the center of the universe but it is not so attractive in an older kid. You do not want your fourteen year old to think that the world revolves around her and nobody else and that they can do whatever they want to.

One thing I learned is that it is a big mistake to reward any behavior like this. Never cave in to a bratty kid. If you reward bad behaviors the kid will never ever stop them. Reprimand the child without being rude yourself. Explain why the behavior was wrong and why they might be distracting or upsetting to others.
Don't feel bad having to discipline a child for being a brat. You are, in the end, teaching him or her to have good manners. Don't let your child interrupt when someone else is talking. Make him or her say 'thank you and please.' Explain to your kid how having good manners makes others more inclined to help him or her in the world.

Don't forget the other side of the coin! You should also be specific with congratulations and praise if your kid does well. Reward him or her for acting appropriately in social setting. Be a good role model and you child will follow your example. That means no throwing tantrums for you either!

Parenting Tips
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3 Things to Look for in a Babysitter

Sometimes when you are busy, when you are short on help, when there just aren't any other options available to you there is a temptation to just let anyone who is available babysit your kids.

Unfortunately this is not the greatest idea. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency in the United States 4 percent of the reported crimes committed against children in the form of neglect, assault or sexual abuse are committed by babysitter. This is why it is so important to really be able to assess the character and then predict the behavior of anyone that you hire to look after your child!

Lots of the time we assume that a friend or relative is the best choice to look after our kids. This is not always true unless the candidate has demonstrated to you that he or she is –
1. Mature
2. Responsible
3. Capable

As you know 'liking the person', familiarity with the person and even age may have nothing to do with this. Some of the most likeable people in the world don't like kids or may do you 'the favor' of looking after your kids because he or she feels obligated.

Furthermore familiarity with a person does not always mean that they are familiar with how to look kids or the basics of First Aid. In fact, if you really think about it, some of the people we are most familiar with in our lives, especially family members, tend to lean towards the dysfunctional side (but we love them anyway!)

Also, 'being responsible' does not necessarily come with age. There are lots of sixty year old out there that are much more thoughtless and reckless than the sixteen year old down the street.

Then there is the issue of capability. If you have a toddler going through the 'terrible twos' you do not want to have someone frail or nervous looking after your kid. You want someone who knows how to dry tears, bribe a kid out of it or give him or her Time-Out. You want someone skilled with children and someone who is able to 'make the call' about whether or not to take a trip to emergency if your child is hurt.
In a nutshell, you want an individual who is mature, responsible and capable because anyone who fulfills those three criteria is going to be someone that you can trust when you are not at home!

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