Challenging Behavior in Early Childhood: Steps toward Better Regulation & Social Skills

It is not uncommon for a young child to be expelled from child care due to a challenging behavior, especially hurtful behaviors like biting or hitting. And yet it’s hard to imagine a young child who doesn’t occasionally lash out in frustration or anger and have a hard time calming down and re-engaging in a more positive way. In early childhood (birth to 5), children are just learning how to manage emotions, share space and attention with others and handle conflict in reasonable ways.   As this week’s Mom Enough guest knows, children learn those lessons best when parents and other adults connect with them, recognize their feelings and engage them in thinking about what they can do differently. Dr. Anne Gearity joins Marti & Erin for a rich discussion that will help you think about and respond to challenging behavior in ways that are effective in the short-run and supportive of healthy development in the long-run. Thank you to Help Me Grow, a supporting partner of Mom Enough, for providing sponsoring this episode of Mom Enough.   WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR? Dr. Gearity says when children act out they are telling us, “I’m confused. I need your help.” Think of a recent situation in which a young child in your life engaged in a very challenging behavior. How did you respond and how did it work? How would your response have been different if you’d thought of the child saying, “I need your help?”   WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT REGULATION & CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS? ❉ HELP ME GROW. A wealth of resources on child development, early childhood screening and more are available through Help Me Grow's website.   ❉ DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES. View this helpful resource from Help Me Grow to see if your child's development is on track.   ❉ I LOVE MY WHITE SHOES. Read this great Pete the Cat book.   ❉ WAYS TO HELP CHILDREN THINK ABOUT BETTER SOLUTIONS FOR DIFFICULT BEHAVIORS. Check out this tip sheet from St. David’s Center, a Mom Enough supporting partner.   ❉ PROMOTING SELF-REGULATION IN CHILDREN: THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULATORY PARTNERS. Most parents can recall a moment when their child threw a tantrum. Perhaps they were frustrated that they didn’t get what they wanted and fell to the floor screaming or crying? Or, maybe they missed a nap and simply couldn’t handle what was being asked of them? Regardless of the situation, a tantrum may be a perfectly normal response in early childhood, but in time, a child needs to learn healthier ways to express and cope with their emotions. Occupational therapist and health coach, Kate Biederman, from St. David’s Center for Child and Family Development