Dealing With Your Kid’s Bad Behavior in Public

Raising kids isn’t easy and they surely don’t come with a manual. If only every child was the perfect angel all the time (especially in front of others). We all know this is rarely the case. There will be times when your child acts out in public with rude antics that make you want to bury your head in the sand. Here are some ways to handle the behavior and the embarrassment without further trouble. Plus, your child can learn from her mistakes, making the next outing a more successful one for all.

Deal with the Issue Then and There

The moment after your child misbehaves is the best time to point out what was wrong and why. If you wait until you get home, the impact may be lost. Show your child the looks on the faces of people around her. Explain why they are upset or offended. Teach her another way she could have expressed herself and have her mimic your behavior. Make sure she apologizes to those around her and really understands what she’s saying. The repercussions of her actions will be taken in and better remembered than if you wait until the dust settles and you’re in a different environment.

Replay the Scene at Home

To reinforce the message, reenact the scenario again after you’ve taught your child her lesson. See if she’s remembered anything and reacts in a better way. See if she recalls the rude behavior or actions she committed before. Role play and you do something rude and ask her to point it out to see if she understands the difference between poor and acceptable behavior. Growing up means every moment is a teaching moment and it’s the best thing you can do for your child rather than meaningless punishment.

What if Someone Else’s Child is Rude to You or Your Child?

Sometimes, it’s not your kid, but someone else’s who is being rude to you or your child in public. While it’s generally best to leave the discipline to their parent, there are times when you may have to step in if the other parent isn’t helping. First try to go to the parent and let her know what happened. Give her the opportunity to handle her child’s behavior. If that isn’t an option or doesn’t work, you may need to help. By no means yell or upset the child, but if he or she is seriously offending you or your child, by all means try to teach this child that what’s happening is unacceptable. They do say it takes a village…

How do you handle acts of public rudeness when it comes to your child or others? What is the best way to stop the behavior from recurring? We would love to share your advice with the AMC community.

For more information like this, please pay a visit to All My Children Blogs.

By: Melissa A. Kay