At Gold Pediatrics in Rockville, MD, Dr. Errol Douglas has years of experience helping parents adjust their child's behavior. As a result, we can help you better understand how to manage problematic issues and give your child the support they need to stay focused and positive.

Track Your Child’s Behavioral Triggers

Do you know exactly why your child acts out when they do? It might seem random or chaotic, but that’s rarely the case: children often have triggers that may cause them to behave poorly. Pediatricians call these antecedents and state that tracking them is important to ensure you understand what is happening. Just a few antecedents include: 

• Confusion or agitation caused by a situation 
• Frustration at not getting attention or “their way”
• Conflicts with parents or siblings 
• Struggles at school or with peers 
• Issues with learning something new 
• Confusing expectations from parents 

This last fact is particularly important to highlight: at Gold Pediatrics, Dr. Douglas knows that parents often assume that their children know what is expected from them. However, many child behavior issues in Rockville, MD, occur because children don’t know what their parents want. Remember: behavior concerns are a two-way street.

Set Good Examples

Children learn primarily through example and following their parents’ behavior. That doesn’t mean your child has a temper tantrum because they’re emulating you. However, they take their social cues from their parents and need proper examples that help reinforce positive behaviors and mitigate the negative. Just a few things you can do is:

• Be aware of the current situation, including factors like hunger, fatigue, or frustration
• Change the situation by removing distractions, providing healthy snacks, and breaks
• State very clear expectations of your child to make sure you’re on the same page
• Give your children a warning when they have to transition to new activities
• Give them structured choices (choice a over choice b) to give them a sense of control

Create Consequences

We don’t mean spanking or even yelling at your child unnecessarily when we say consequences. Reacting to negative behaviors gives your child attention and reinforces the action, even if you punish them. Instead, you should:

• Give positive attention to good behaviors 
• Create rewards for positive behaviors 
• Provide clear and consistent expectations 
• Give time-outs if the child behaves poorly
• Follow the rules consistently to avoid frustration

Help Is Available for You

At Gold Pediatrics, Dr. Douglas can address child behavior issues in Rockville, MD, and help you get the peace of mind you need. Often, children with behavioral problems simply need a little support from a professional who understands their needs. Contact us at (301) 517-9710 to learn more about the ways that we can help your child.