5 ways to stop bratty behaviour before it's too late

Distinguishing if your child is spoilt or not is actually a lot harder than it seems. When you see a kid throwing tantrums in NTUC while you're grocery shopping, you may (in your mind) label him/her as a complete brat, but you probably wouldn't with your own 4-year-old.

You'd probably think about why he is kicking up a fuss (he must be in need of a nap, snack, playtime...). You'd almost never see yourself as spoiling him or rewarding his bratty behaviour.

But when your child shows unfavourable behaviour — whether it's age-appropriate or not — it's time to make some changes to put a stop to it.

#1 Don't ignore the signs

If you've been skeptical about whether or not you're raising a brat, you probably already are and have not fully come into terms with it yet. Don't ignore your gut-feel or forget about the extreme tantrums your child has expressed towards you or others.

#2 Do something about public tantrums

When your little one is making a scene at a public setting and strangers are noticing, you can't let him get away with it just to try to smooth things over. If you're a parent of a toddler, it's best to start now – properly show him how to behave in public and explain that is wrong to yell at everyone to get what he wants.

When you ignore your child's bad behaviour, they quickly learn that not only do they not have to listen to you, but they also don't have to respect their surroundings – and others around them.

#3 Never let them speak to you that way

Never allow them to speak to you in a disrespectful manner. Get your eldest child to lead the example. If your child is often punished for wrongful behaviour since young, it'll be less likely for him to transition into a bratty kid.

#4 Don't let them mistake bad behaviour as a way to express themselves

Even if your child is angry, they need to learn that there is a right and a wrong way to handle those emotions. When you're upset, you might want to yell or bite, but you've learned alternative ways of expression and you owe it to your child to socialise them accordingly.

#5 Teach them all about respecting others

The only way to really prevent your child from growing up to be extremely spoilt is to communicate with them respectfully.

Show them the right way to communicate with others in both private and public settings. Most of the time, children turn to throwing tantrums because of a lack of authority since the start. As parents, we need to ensure that they fully understand the concept of respect.

How do you tame your kids' tantrums? We would love to hear from you!

Written by

Pavin Chopra

kids' tantrumsbratbratty behaviour