There is a reason why the age two and three of toddlerhood are called 'terrible twos' and 'tantrum-y three'. If you have a child that age, you will know what I mean. The mood swings, being grumpy and acting out is all part of growing up, but this is also when you need to address the issues and help your child develop a positive personality that will last her a lifetime. Most of the times, your child's tantrums and bad mood stems from the fact that she is still struggling with still trying to learn how to communicate using words and trying to understand the big emotions that they experience. Trying to learn to deal with emotions and act in a social setup is difficult and a slow process for kids, and your help goes a long way. If you are struggling with trying to reinforce positive behaviour in your child, reading books about positive behaviour will help. Here's how to use books to talk about positive behaviour.
Find a book that talks about positive behaviour - The Magic Word, The Smartest Giant in Town, etc. are good books that talk about using words like please, and giving and being kind. Children learn a lot from books and you will see her emulate a lot from what she reads and sees in the books.
Act out the book with dolls and toys: A good way of reinforcing what you read in the books is to reenact it with using toys like dolls or bears, or any other props. It is a good way to see how much your child remembers from the book. While at that, you can also do is enact different situations and ask your child what she thinks should one do in such a situation.
Bring the reference of books up whenever you need to: There will be situations when you can bring up the reference of the book and ask your child to act out like that. Tell your child that it's okay to be upset, angry, annoyed and even feel the need to scream. But what is important is to control it and let it out in a way that you have taught her - by either talking, punching a pillow, breathing or going to a different room. And don't forget to appreciate and applaud your child when she does behave in a positive way.
When reading, talk to her about different situations and what would she do: While the book might talk about one situation, you can use the opportunity to talk to your child about different situations and how she should react.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
