8 Tips For Dealing With Your Child’s Bad Attitude

Is there anything worse than a child's bad attitude? Of course, there are worse things, but when you have a child with a bad attitude, very few other things can compare. If you need tips for dealing with a bad attitude from your child, then keep these suggestions in mind.

Parenting is a hard (and very rewarding) job that doesn't come with a guidebook (although I really like this parenting book). No matter what your parenting style is, eventually one of your children will have a bad attitude for at least a little bit. It may be a full blown tantrum, a rude tone, or their normal good manners may just disappear.  Here are some tips we've found help when trying to keep our cool while dealing with a child's bad attitude.

8 Tips For Dealing With Your Child's Bad Attitude

Try to understand what’s causing the bad attitude. Not every child who has a bad attitude is upset because they are not getting their way. If your child continuously has a bad attitude, sit down with them and try to understand where they are coming from. They may have a need that isn't getting met or a stressor they haven't shared with you.

Try to be as consistent as possible. If you’re really struggling with the attitude your child is giving you, remain consistent in your efforts to deal with the problem. Your child wants you to give up easily, but you have more will power than that.

Always talk about the issue after it’s happened. Maybe you have had a conversation with your child once or twice about their bad attitude; however, it’s important to talk to them every time it happens. They need to know that it’s not okay. Work together on a solution to fix the issue at hand.

Have them write an apology letter for bad attitude. Some children benefit from writing an apology letter when they have a frequent bad attitude, like my oldest. He doesn't like to verbalize what is going on, but give him a piece of paper and he'll write a letter saying he's sorry and what he thinks caused his bad attitude. After he's done writing, we can go over it to find a solution for the root issue.  Often times, the problem isn't what set him off, but a build up over time.

Don’t be afraid of consequences. Some parents are afraid of “taking away” their child’s privileges as a result of their bad behavior. If you want to stop the bad behavior then measures need to be taken. Perhaps losing access to electronics for a week is just what Dr. Mom ordered.

Realize that this may take some time. Although kids have bad days, most kids who have a bad attitude have developed this “attitude” over time. It’s important to know that it may take some time for your child to get over their bad attitude. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

Let your child know you’re there for them. Sometimes life can be overwhelming and our children just need us. This doesn’t excuse them from having a bad attitude, but it does let them know that we love them unconditionally. When an adult has a bad day, sometimes we just need someone to listen.

Teach them tools to help them deal. Yelling and screaming are ways we all want to deal with our bad attitudes, but it’s not the right thing to do. Instead of allowing our children to take their frustration and attitude out one everyone else, give them tools to help them deal. Counting to ten? Talk to an adult? Take a ten minute time out? You know your child best and what will help them.

What are some ways you deal with a child's bad attitude?