Curb Aggressive Behavior in Your Preschooler

Hitting, biting, yelling, stomping, and temper tantrums are all examples of aggressive behavior in a preschooler. While the occasional episode out of frustration is normal, a consistent pattern of aggressive behavior in your preschooler could be cause for concern. If you notice aggressive behavior in your preschooler, these tips may help you curb the behavior and teach your preschooler to handle their aggression and frustration in a more appropriate manner.

If appropriate, ignore the behavior.

When aggressive behavior in your preschooler isn't dangerous or harmful, parents can attempt to ignore the behavior. For example, temper tantrums are often done for effect, and when there's no audience, they quickly lose their appeal. If your preschooler's aggressive behavior has no victim, ignoring it may work.

Be firm and consistent.

Not all aggressive behavior is victimless--hitting, biting, pinching, and kicking need to be stopped immediately. As a parent, it's your job to firmly tell your child that this behavior is inappropriate and remove them from the situation. Time-outs work well for both parent and child as a method of dealing with aggressive behavior. The NHS recommends that whatever you do, you intervene immediately when you see aggressive behavior taking place.

Set and enforce limits.

Before aggressive behavior occurs, it's important for parents to set and enforce limits with their preschoolers. By doing this, you can hopefully curb some aggressive behavior before it begins by letting your child know what is expected of them early on.

Work on anger management.

If you set and enforce limits, and are firm and consistent with your child when aggressive behavior does occur, you should also work on productive methods of anger management with your preschooler. Work with your child on expressing their anger productively-for example, coming to you and telling you when someone upsets them as opposed to hitting the other child. Discussing emotions at home can also help curb some anger and aggression issues in young children.

Monitor your own anger and responses to frustration in front of your children.

It's easy to tell young children not to scream and yell to get their point across, but if they are yelled and screamed out, you're sending mixed messages. Children see how you handle frustration, anger, and aggression, and as such, learn when you don't think you're teaching. Work hard to express your own emotions in a positive manner, and your children will learn from that, too!

Aggressive behavior in preschoolers isn't as uncommon as you might expect, and all children have their moments when aggression and frustration gets the best of them. However, helping your child recognize and curb aggressive behavior can help them in the long run. When in doubt, consult your pediatrician for suggestions and recommendations.

Resources:

NHS; Aggression (handling aggression); http://www.childrenfirst.nhs.uk/families/az_child_health/a/aggression_handling.html