The nose is an essential part of our body. It filters the air you breathe, removing dust, germs, and irritants. It warms and moistens the air to keep your lungs and tubes that lead to them from drying out. Your nose also contains the nerve cells that help your sense of smell. When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer. For example, the stuffy nose of the common cold can make it hard for you to breathe, sleep, or get comfortable. Let's be nosy and find out standard childhood nose related issues : Bacterial Nasal Infections - Minor infections at the opening of the nose, may result in pimples at the base of nasal hairs and sometimes crusts around the nostrils. The infection may result from nose picking or excessive nose blowing and causes annoying crusts and bleeding when the crusts slough off.Broken Nose - A broken nose, also called a nasal fracture, is a break or crack in a bone in your nose — often the bone over the bridge of your nose. Common causes of a broken nose include contact sports, physical fights, falls, and motor vehicle accidents that result in facial trauma. A broken nose can cause pain, along with swelling and bruising around your nose and under your eyes. Your nose may look crooked, and you may have trouble breathing. Treatment for a broken nose may include procedures that realign your nose. Surgery usually isn't necessary for a broken nose.Deviated Septum - The bone and cartilage that divides the inside of the nose in half is called the nasal septum. The most common symptom from a badly deviated septum is difficulty breathing through the nose, which is usually worse on one side. In some cases, it may cause sinus drainage or repeated sinus infections.Nosebleeds - A nosebleed is blood loss from the tissue that lines your nose. The most common causes of nosebleeds are dryness (often caused by indoor heat in the winter) and nose picking. These two things work together — nose-picking occurs more often when mucus in the nose is dry and crusty. Colds also can cause nosebleeds.Post-Nasal Drip - Post-nasal drip occurs when your nose and throat produce excess mucus, often causing you to feel it dripping down from your nose into your throat. Symptoms include Feeling of mucus drainage into the throat, Frequent swallowing, Throat clearing, Sore, irritated throat &amp; Feeling a lump in the throat.Rhinitis (Hay Fever) -&nbsp;Allergic rhinitis is the most common childhood ailment caused by allergies. Symptoms include a runny and itchy nose, sneezing, post-nasal drip and nasal congestion (blockage). A child with allergies may also have itchy, watery, red eyes and chronic ear problems.Runny Nose - A stuffy or congested nose occurs when the tissues lining the nose become swollen. The swelling is due to inflamed blood vessels. The problem may also include nasal discharge or "runny nose." If excess mucus runs down the back of your throat, it may cause a cough or sore throat. A runny nose may be annoying and uncomfortable, but it usually clears up on its own. Occasionally, it can be a sign of a more severe problem. A runny nose may be severe in infants. Prevention tipsAlthough it may not be possible to prevent all nosebleeds in children, a person can take steps to help reduce their occurrence. These include:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Treating allergies to prevent inflammation in the nose·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Using saline (saltwater) nasal sprays to keep the child's nose moist·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Running a humidifier or vaporizer in the child's bedroom to prevent the air from drying out·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Keeping children's nails trimmed to prevent injuries due to nose picking·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Encouraging children to wear appropriate protective equipment during sports or other activities where injury to the nose is possible RememberIf your child has symptoms of any of the above nose related issues/infections, see your paediatrician. Your paediatrician can properly diagnose and treat the infection and recommend ways to help alleviate the discomfort from some of the symptoms.

The nose is an essential part of our body. It filters the air you breathe & removes dust. When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer. 

Nose related issues in Children

The nose is an essential part of our body. When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer.

<ul><li>Make sure to get your child fully checked before the winter starts.</li><li>Make sure that all heating appliances like geysers &amp; heaters are in working condition.</li><li>Adequate warm clothing is essential but makes sure to NOT over-dress your baby as it can be extremely uncomfortable for him/her. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Always remember to make them warm boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat. The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.</li><li>Give warm water baths to your child. Make sure that there is a balance between the bathroom and the bedroom temperature so that your child does not get uncomfortable after the bath.</li><li>There should be no gusts of cold winds when you are bathing your baby.</li><li>Give adequate necessary vitamins and nutrients essential for proper growth to your child.</li><li>When riding/travelling in a car, make them wear thin, snug layers rather than thick, bulky coats or snowsuits.</li><li>Use sleep clothing for babies like warm one-piece sleepers or wearable blankets instead of loose bedding like blankets, quilts, pillows, bumpers, and sheepskins as they are a cause of suffocating deaths.</li><li>If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be thin and tucked under the crib mattress, reaching only as far as the baby's chest.</li><li>Prevent cold and flu by getting kids to:</li></ul>-Use soap and water: Washing their hands frequently will reduce the spread of germs.-Cover their mouth: Sneezing or coughing into the bend of their elbows also helps prevent the spreading of germs.-Get immunised: Keep vaccinations current, including the flu shot.<ul><li>Include soup in your baby’s diet. A healthy soup in cold weather will keep your baby warm.</li><li>Maintain your own hygiene: Make sure to wash and sanitise your hands before you attend to your baby every time. You need to stay healthy so that your child does not catch any infections because of you.</li><li>Use a Humidifier: When using a heating apparatus during winters it could rob the room of water vapour, making the air dry as well as your child’s skin. Hence, install a humidifier in the room so that the moisture levels are maintained.</li><li>Make use of a moisturiser for your baby as your little one's skin will be extremely sensitive and the harsh atmosphere of the winter can make it dry. Opt for skin creams or moisturisers that are made for the baby’s skin.</li><li>Protect your child from hypothermia. Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures. As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy.&nbsp;Speech may become slurred.</li><li>If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call for an emergency at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him/her in blankets or warm clothes.</li><li>Another thing to keep your baby safe from is frostbite. Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen.&nbsp;This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose.&nbsp;They may become pale, grey and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that his/her skin burns or has become numb.</li><li>If you suspect frostbite, bring the child indoors and place the frostbite parts of his/her body in warm (not hot) water. Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten noses, ears and lips. Do not rub the frozen areas. After a few minutes, dry and cover the child with clothing or blankets. Give him/her something warm to drink. If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.</li></ul>

Taking the right precautionary steps before the arrival of any season will keep your baby safe and healthy.

Winter Precautions for Babies

Taking the right precautionary steps before the arrival of any season will keep your baby safe and healthy.

Precautions for Babies During the Winter Season

Are we exhibiting what we want our kids to be? Call it a harsh reality but children rarely learn from what we preach, they learn from our actions. Take this for an example, an anonymous user on the internet confessed that her child would hit her younger sibling while playing. Her explanation in defence was, “We are playing ‘mommy”. We all aspire to become perfect parents for our kids because we want to inculcate values in them that would make them better human beings. But the larger and the more significant question is do we exhibit that kind of discipline in our behaviour? We expect our children to use modern-day gadgets judiciously but do we supervise our use of these products? We want our kids to watch their words and actions when angry but do we manage our anger appropriately? We want our kids to show decorum and discipline with their daily routine but are we exhibiting ourselves as an example to do the same? Dr Haim Ginott, a renowned child psychologist, pointed out, “Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.” If we give the child an environment of hostility he is more likely to learn to fight. An environment of ridicule and shame can lead to the child resulting being shy and guilty. But similarly, if the child had always lived with tolerance, he learns to become more patient. If he has always received praise, he learns the virtue of appreciation. What is important during the child’s growing years is that we model the kind of behaviour we expect our children to be. It is impossible to not be stressed or angry under circumstances. But when the parents manage their stress and anger appropriately, the message is loud and clear to the kids that it is normal to feel negative at times but it is only the positive attitude towards solving these problems that reap good results. Parents should ‘speak’ and ‘do’ what they expect out of their children. Saying statements like. “I love all kinds of food”, “I love playing outdoors”, “Let’s clean up the mess together”, “Let’s help little brother/sister with eating the food”. These kinds of statements bring about assurance in the kids and before indulging in the wrong they are forced to do what think what they have been taught. The brains of children are like sponges. They absorb everything without discriminating information into right or wrong. Let's set ourselves as better examples for our children. Let's exhibit what we want our children to be.

Are we exhibiting what we want our kids to be? Call it a harsh reality but children rarely learn from what we preach, they learn from our actions.

Children See Children Learn - The pillar of parenting

Being a positive role model for your child can help instil the right attitude and habits from an early age for your child to nurture a healthy lifestyle.

Children See Children Learn ~The pillar of parenting

Parenting is a process, not a learned behaviour. Raising a child in a nuclear family requires several measures, the most important of all being the sharing of responsibilities between both the parents equally.<ul><li>Children in a nuclear family are more confident as they are more independent compared to children raised in joint families.</li><li>A joint family offers a lot of family time, so parents in a nuclear family should properly schedule their day to assure sufficient and efficient time for kids in the family.</li><li>Being in a nuclear family brings many responsibilities on parents’ shoulders. This might drain you out, more if you are a working parent. This draining out will make you frustrated sometimes but it is very important to stay positive in front of your parents. The serious discussions can be limited to bedrooms between you and your spouse.</li><li>If you live in a nuclear family, it is important to maintain good ties with the extended family. This is because they will be at your help to look after your child when you cannot be present for your child.</li><li>Instead of relying on gadgets, invest in educational play boxes for your child which will aid your child’s intellectual development.</li><li>Involve your kids in household chores. Nothing can be a better way to spend quality time with your kids. This also develops emotional, motor, social skills in your child.</li><li>Make sure to plan outings – even to the nearest park – once in a while. This will help you ease a bit and also give your child the time to bond with you.</li></ul> In the end, it is up to parents to weigh the pros and cons of raising a child in joint and nuclear families and then decide what’s best for their child(ren).

A nuclear family or elementary family or conjugal family is essentially a family which has parents (mother and father) and children.

Parenting in a nuclear or conjugal family

A nuclear family or elementary family or conjugal family is essentially a family which has parents (mother and father) and children.

Parenting in a nuclear family

It's trickier to keep babies safe in monsoons, but taking care of a few important things can make it alright: <ul><li>Make sure that your baby’s clothes are dry and warm. Clothes often remain cold and damp after a wash in the monsoon. Clothes that remain damp can result in your baby catching a fever or cold. It is also best to opt for breathable cotton fabrics and avoid synthetics that may cause rashes.</li><li>Monsoons are always accompanied by several insects and germs like flies, fungus mosquitoes, etc. Hence the chances of babies falling ill also increase during monsoons. To keep your baby free of these, ensure that you and everyone else handling your baby should stay clean. Keep an eye out for nappy rash - change diapers regularly and apply a good diaper rash cream.</li><li>Disinfect your home and surroundings too regularly to keep germs away. Unclean surroundings can harbour many disease-causing insects and pests, as well as bacteria.</li><li>Monsoon brings with it malaria and dengue causing mosquitoes. To prevent your baby from catching these diseases, it is best to use bed nets or mesh windows. You can also use mosquito repellent creams for your baby after consulting with a doctor. There are also liquid, card and coil repellents available that are safe and effective against mosquitoes.</li><li>It is best not to take your baby out during monsoons, especially when it is raining. The humidity and the change in temperatures might lead to your baby catching the flu. If you have to take your baby out, make sure that your baby is covered correctly and completely dry throughout your outing. If you go out, avoid dirty areas with puddles and mud. Ensure that you are not taking your baby to crowded places as it’s easier to get infected with people around. When you take your child outdoors, keep wet wipes handy to ensure your baby stays clean all the time.</li><li>Some infants are allergic to specific pollen and allergens. Make sure your baby is kept away from these during the rains. If you notice any rash, redness or other symptoms, consult your doctor immediately and get it checked.</li><li>Check your house for dampness, leakage before the monsoon arrives. Get them fixed if there is a problem. Check for fungus or moulds around the house. Secure the loose electric wiring, if any. Clean the drains and keep bathrooms hygienic</li><li>Always feed freshly prepared food to your baby in monsoon as food tends to spoil quickly in monsoon.</li><li>Since you can’t always find clean water when you’re outside, make sure you carry a small bottle of sanitiser and use it to clean your hands whenever handling the baby.</li><li>Many doctors recommend getting a flu booster shot when the monsoons are around. Make sure your baby gets all his/her shots before the monsoon.</li><li>Since a baby is primary indoors in monsoon (s), he doesn’t need a daily bath. Two to three times a week, and especially around humid times, can give your baby relief from the heat as well. If your child has been outside, definitely give him a nice warm water bath.</li></ul>

Monsoon Precautions for Babies | Tips & Precautions

Monsoon Tips and Precautions for Babies

Before asking them to stop shouting, identify from where they learned it. Usually, children learn such behaviour from home itself or from their surroundings. If as a parent, you are yelling at your child, the first thing you need to do is stop shouting at your child. Child models your behaviour. What they see, they learn. If you have screamed at your child for a certain thing, they learn that screaming at people gets the task done. Once they learn to yell, it's difficult for them to unlearn. Steps you can take to stop your child from yelling: <ul><li>Face to face communication: Whenever you talk to your child, look them in the eye and calmly convey your message. Do not make faces. Stop staring and glaring at them. Always, go near to your child or call them near and then talk calmly. Do not show a frustrated or angry face or use abusive language.</li><li>Use a timetable to avoid conflict: When the time table is pre-decided there are fewer chances of conflict and anger and frustration. Gradually, the child develops the habit of accepting the time frames for particular activities and follows it. Stay flexible and understanding if your child fails to follow the timetable once in a while.</li><li>Walk out of the argument: In instances where the child is yelling, tell them, “It is not right to shout and yell at others. Let’s calm down and then talk”. Don’t sound stubborn but be firm.</li><li>Set an example: Yes! We know the situation is frustrating and triggering for you, but this is your test. Maintain your calm and composure during the argument. This may seem difficult but with practice, you will learn it too.</li></ul> In cases of toddler’s yelling there are few points that need to be considered:<ul><li>Toddlers scream just to check their ability to scream and experiment. It might be a fun thing for them.</li><li>Sometimes they yell to grab attention or to have a toy. In short, they yell to show the power and make you believe that you either fulfil their wish or they will shout and get it. In such cases, if you do what they ask just to escape their shouting, you are making a huge mistake. Be firm and calmly tell them whatever they do, you would only listen to them when they lower your voice.</li><li>At times they might be really uncomfortable in some situations so always make it a point to first ask them the issue and then respond accordingly.</li></ul>

Shouting only makes matters worse, be it you or your child.

Dealing with a constantly shouting child

Waking up early is always a task but rather than making it a happy start we tend to begin with tantrums and add to the drama by yelling or pouring cold drops of water to pull the little ones out of the bed. Here are some of the ways that will help you to make a beautiful &amp; happy start in the morning:<ol><li>Identify the problem. If the child is not getting enough sleep at night this could be disturbing. Make sure the child gets at least 10 hours of sleep to begin with a happy morning and an active routine.</li><li>Instead of shouting let’s start with some music. Have a routine morning music, put it on for the entire family and let it be your sweet alarm. You can play favourite rhymes or audio books for the little one.</li><li>Take time to snuggle and hug the little one, hug them in bed instead of pulling them out, these little moments will have a lasting impact to set the morning routine.</li><li>Put your efforts in making your child sleep early rather than putting those efforts in waking them up.</li><li>Dim the lights, begin with bed time story and most importantly keep the phones and devices away from the bed.</li></ol>

Waking up early is always a task but rather than making it a happy start we tend to begin with tantrums.

Waking child up peacefully for school

Many children are particular about not sharing their toys with others. This is because toys are the only things which they feel is their possession. And as they feel it’s their possession, they tend to not share them with people they do not know. They are reluctant to share their toys with unknown people because they are worried if someone might break them. Such a tendency is normal. But you can always teach them that sharing is caring. Help them understand that sharing is the first step towards new friendships. If your child does not share his/her toys even with the ones they know and trust, try to talk to them and understand the reason behind that. Explain to them that it is alright to share personal toys with the people they trust. If they share theirs, their friends will also share toys. This will result in more toys and more enjoyment. Do not force them to share their toys. They will take time and it is okay. Do not negatively inculcate anything in them. For example, never say “if you don’t share your toys, we will not buy more for you”.

Most kids are possessive by nature. Observe carefully where there possession ends.

Child does not share toys

<ul><li>Stubbornness is a quality that everyone has. We use it as and when required. So when a child is stubborn, the child has their views where (s)he is stuck up firmly. It means they don’t want to listen to others; they have their criteria and want to follow them. They are at an age where they want to try and explore what they feel is correct.</li></ul> <ul><li>Let's take an example of food; food is a topic where most parents find it challenging to handle their child. As a parent, we want them to eat healthy and nutritious food whereas they want to eat junk food like pizza and pasta.</li></ul> <ul><li>One of the methods to deal with stubbornness is negotiation. We can negotiate with them. For example, you can tell them that if they want to eat junk food, they can have it once a week, and the rest of the days, they will have to follow your schedule. But then let them decide which day they want. You don’t dictate the day for them. Give them the liberty to select the day and the kind of junk food they prefer. Let it be homemade, preferably. Once in a while, you can take them to dine out as well. As a parent, we know all the pros and cons of the situation, but they don’t. They learn by trial and error method, and they tend to get distracted as well. You can always have limited control over your choices if you are too distracted.</li></ul> <ul><li>But when it comes to academics, negotiation may not work always. Like a child can come up with, “I don't want to study now”. “I will do this on my time.” “In such cases, we can’t allow them because we know that time is running out. So for this, we can help them create a timetable, where primarily they have to create the timetable, and you have to stay around helping them. Keep in mind that timetable is not a sure shot thing that will be followed thoroughly. It can be a trial and error method. But at least the children know the time boundaries, which will help them.</li></ul> <ul><li>The other important thing is that stubbornness doesn’t come alone; it brings misbehaviour hand in hand. When you know your child is stubborn and misbehaving, you can’t deliberately put them into any awkward condition. Could you not make them feel socially awkward? For example, if there are guests around and you force your child to greet them. The child might react in a way which might be humiliating to you also, by back answering, by disobeying, making a scene in front of the guests. As a mature adult, to avoid this, you can say, “There are guests around if you feel like just greet them.” And then leave it up to them. Don’t make it a compulsion. Could you give them the liberty of choice? At the same time, keep saying that what you would like them to do.</li></ul> <ul><li>Up to a certain extent, this will give them a choice of thought process, which will mellow them down and put them in strata where they will be able to make their choices. Once it might be unhealthy, but at a later stage, they will learn from their mistakes and become a better person compared to their stubborn behaviour.</li></ul> <ul><li>When you talk about stubbornness, it is also a lot about “Ego”. We all have an ego, and with maturity, we learn how to deal with it or overcome it. With children, they don’t have this filter. It is always a question about their ego, so they get stubborn at every point. They don’t know how to control this behaviour. So at times when you start to express stubborn behaviour in terms of commands, rules, or instructions, they feel that this is the only way a person can cope or deal with things. Irrespective of the situation, never behave stubbornly in front of them. Don’t stubbornly put your point. You can explain the reasons behind your instructions to help them understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.</li></ul> <ul><li>Give them options. Of course, they can’t keep doing things they like in their manner, but giving them multiple options and showing possibilities of ways of doing things, will solve the problem to a great extent.</li></ul> <ul><li>By giving multiple options, they will not feel stuck and feel the liberty of choosing their preferences, satisfying their ego, so it becomes easier to work with them.</li></ul>

All humans are stubborn, more or less. That does not mean you cannot teach your child to put their foot down and patiently listen to what the other person has to say.

Dealing with a stubborn child

Discipline teaches your child how to behave and how not to behave in social and routine situations. It also lays the foundation for the kind of adult the child is going to be. Discipline can never be taught just by punishment. Instead, discipline should be taught by talking, listening and showcasing the behaviour you want your child to learn. Babies under the age of 3 do not really understand good or bad behaviour. Building a routine such as sleeping on time and waking up on time, eating home cooked meals, etc. can be done with toddlers. You can inculcate disciplined behaviour among toddlers by:<ul><li>Making family rules and sticking by to them yourself as well. Like talking politely to each other, taking care of each other, everyone helps in household work, taking care of own belongings.</li><li>Appreciate&nbsp;your child’s effort for the little good things they learn. Like when they keep shoes or bag at the respective places, appreciate it. This will motivate them to keep up the good behaviour.</li><li>Do not shout and yell at children in public or private&nbsp;for misbehaviour, instead make a note of the incident and talk about it during bed-time. Ask the child and let them answer about right and wrong behaviour, this will make them conscious about their behaviour next time.</li><li>Appreciate good behaviour.&nbsp;Make&nbsp;a chart and give them stars. Let them earn stars by depicting good behaviour example: helping at home, putting their things at the right place, cleaning their room etc.). This will make them understand that it’s important to hold on to routine and good habits in life.</li></ul>

Discipline teaches your child how to behave and how not to behave in social and routine situations. It also lays the foundation for the kind of adult the child is going to be.

Keeping a child in discipline

Samiksha Choithani

Like adults children also start exploring their behaviour at different ages. But like adults, children don’t have words to express their emotions; they are just discovering different ways of behaviour in order to influence people. So tantrums are just method of expressing feelings for children, all we need to do is try and understand what is happening around them. Tantrums cannot be totally avoided but of course can be controlled. Take the following steps to cope with your child's tantrum issues: <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Ensure the child is not stressed – if the child is tired, hungry or stressed he/she may experience tantrums.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Identify the sources that lead to tantrums, for e.g. If your child is experiencing tantrums when you are involved in a conversation, try to hold it for a moment and listen, in case you are avoiding it might trigger and lead to a frustrated behaviour. Next, time when you have a long family conversation, ensure you have a book to read or some colouring assignment for a child to keep them busy.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Distract your child and don’t try to be rebellious when the child is experiencing tantrums. Just try to change the environment or start a new activity.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Just try and talk about the feeling, encourage them to name the feeling. For example if the child throws a toy, ask them why did they throw? It wasn’t working? What could have been done? And what could be the consequences of throwing it?</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Keep calm, take time (a minute) to control yourself first before reacting to the situation. If you get angry, situation can be hard both for you and your child.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Be consistent in your approach, if you give a phone to child during meals when the child experiences tantrums and sometimes you don’t, things can get worse.</li></ul> Note: Once the child turns 5, tantrums may considerably reduce as they develop an understanding of consequences of their behaviour. You can explain them immediately or at night in the form of a story.&nbsp;

A child is bound to throw a tantrum because who else if not the child. This does not mean the tantrums can not be tamed.

Dealing with Toddler Tantrums

Dr Ajab Primuswala

<ul><li>It is important to understand the psychological reasons behind why does a child back answers every time you tell him/her something.</li><li>Whenever you notice that your child is back answering, the first thing&nbsp;to do is observe your own behaviour with them subjectively. A child always models your behaviour.</li><li>Look for incidents or triggers which motivates them to back-answer or not to listen to you.</li><li>When you talk about your misbehaving child, look for any circumstances which they are not able to make you understand, look for their requirements or their hidden feelings and emotions.</li><li>Sometimes a child is unhappy because of some dispute with their siblings or friends and is unable to do anything about it or unable to talk about it, in that case (s)he may come to you and shower in his/her frustration in terms of back answers or misbehaviour. Here, a child is either thinking of not reacting or is unable to express their feelings and so this&nbsp;acted as one of the triggers to misbehave.</li><li>As a parent we usually command them to do certain things, we don’t even try to understand their needs, their feelings and emotions, what would they appreciate. We just look at our perspective as adults and go ahead with it. So the child can misbehave to prove his/her point. Sometimes they know that their behaviour is not appropriate but they would still continue to do so just to prove their point.</li><li>Age factor plays a major role in understanding a child’s misbehaviour or back answering. If the child is too young, say 3 or 4 years and is misbehaving, they might have some unmet needs. They are seeking your attention and trying to grab you more in this negative&nbsp;manner. The need could be as simple as sleep or hunger but they don't understand themselves so they are unable to convey it correctly.</li><li>For a 5-8 year child, by misbehaving they are trying to lure you or trying to bring your attention towards them. The reason could be a lack of proper communication. You may feel that you talk to your child all day and night but no! What you might be doing is just giving guidance and giving commands or pointing out their mistakes. For example “Did you finish your work?” “Stop banging the door”! “see! You forgot to flush the toilet”. There is no communication.</li><li>Communication means even you are listening to them rather than just giving commands or pointing mistakes or doing interrogation. Irrespective of age, communication is extremely important for your child.</li><li>So rather than scolding, getting irritated or upset with them, calm them down. Make them sit. First lower down your voice, ask them to talk to you in soft manner. If they feel that they are disturbed, ask them to calm down for a while and leave them for a while. Leave them with a calming thought.</li><li>Give them time to reflect on their behaviour. Don’t start commanding or being their boss, saying, "Stop doing this”! “You can’t do this to me”. By doing so you are giving them the image that it is okay to shout, it is okay to back-answer. You don’t want them to learn this from you, right?</li><li>The behaviour you want from your child should come first from you. If you feel you aren’t giving enough space, give them space. If the issue is about giving time, give them enough time. Time here&nbsp;doesn’t mean watching TV or playing video games with them.&nbsp;Giving time means planning an activity for spending quality time where you both are involved in the process. The child should enjoy that time with you, The child should enjoy being with you and communicating with you. Teaching them, making them learn, going on long drives would not count here. Before doing any activity for quality time, make sure your child likes it, talk to them and know their viewpoint.</li><li>What a child wants, is to sit beside you, talk to you about their fancy ideas, wants you to hear their school and bus stories, their teacher’s talks and all about what is happening in their life.</li><li>Usually, we tend to overlook these criteria where a child is having some issues outside the house, either in school, with batch mates, with peers, or someone in the surroundings or there could be a pressure of studies as well. Study pressure is not only during board exams but it may be their own expectations towards their own selves.</li><li>Just verbalise it, bring it to point, explain them and still if they misbehave try to find the root cause rather than just shouting back at them.</li></ul>

Back answering is not just a misbehaviour of your child. There might be underlying reasons for that.

Teaching child not to back answer

Try the following to help your child boost his/her self-confidence: 1. Step back and let them choose.Let your child take risks, obviously stay around and stay watchful. Let them make their own choices, solve problems and stick with what they start. Do give children choices within a reasonable set of options pre-selected by you. This can make them feel empowered. 2. Don’t do everything for your child:Be patient and let him do his own thing. For a preschooler to dress is a challenge. Let them take this challenge. New challenges make them more competent and confident. For example, letting them wear their shoes, wearing their clothes, etc. 3. Assign age appropriate household chores:Let little difficulties and risks and problems come in their ways. For example, you can ask them to arrange their bags for school and fold their little clothes or helping you arrange dining table with glasses and plates.. Maybe you can help a little if required. When they accomplish, they will have a feeling that yes they can do it. That is what builds self confidence in them. 4. Let your child know it is okay to be imperfect:Show by example that it is fine if anything is not done perfectly. Give them understanding between perfection and excelling. Teach them that we can always excel and do better than before. 5. Don’t offer insincere praises:Children can easily distinguish between real and fake compliments. Like if they had made a not so good drawing, don’t say wow, that’s amazing. Instead focus on its details and tell him/her that (s) he has added beautiful details in the picture. 6. Appreciate individuality:Don't compare your child either with his friends or siblings. No one likes comparison .Appreciate your child’s uniqueness and teach them the same. 7. Make clear that your love is unconditional:Be always clear that you would love them no matter what. You may not like the habit and you may be a little harsh to them for a bad habit but that doesn’t mean you stop loving them.

Self esteem or self confidence plays a huge role in an individual's life. Encouraging a child's confidence at the right time can do wonders.

Promoting child’s self esteem

<ul><li>Stealing is something which a child does out of curiosity.</li><li>May be the child is picking up just simple things like stationery which is very attractive to them. They don’t know what stealing is but if they like something, they pick it up and keep it for themselves. They don’t understand that the particular thing is not possessed by them so they cannot take it home.</li><li>If you find some unknown objects in their bag, just simply go and ask them about where did they get it from. If they say it was one of their classmates’ or if they start giving any explanations, make them sit and talk to them in a very calm manner.</li><li>Do not get aggressive and scold them. Instead tell them, “It does not belong to you. If it does not belong to you, you cannot bring it home. If you need anything of this sort, you come home and ask us, we will get it for you. Don’t make it a habit of picking up things from wherever you like.”</li><li>Stealing is a concept which we understand. As a young child, they don’t understand this; it is just a simple behaviour where they feel, they just liked something and took it away. They do not understand the concept that this doesn’t belong to me or how can I take when it is somebody else’s thing. Be verbal, make them understand and explain to them what stealing is and what are the consequences of stealing.</li><li>For example, explain to them that if they continue with stealing as a habit even after growing up, they might end up in jail.</li><li>This is just making them learn about what exactly they are doing is not a behaviour which is socially acceptable and is considered to be wrong.</li><li>Don’t start getting aggressive on them without explaining. If it becomes a continuous behaviour even after explaining, then you need to get it checked that what pleasure they are getting out of this habit.</li><li>Keep a check on your child if this turns out to be a continuous habit. Make them understand that they will have to face consequences because of this. Do not tell them that they will be punished but for example, if the child has picked up something from someone, make it a point that they go to that person, return the thing in their hand the next day and apologise for the same.</li><li>This will make them realise that this is something they cannot do however hard they like it.</li><li>Children learn what is appropriate and what is not through proper guidance. If any action or behaviour is appropriate, (s)he will be appreciated and would be found guilty for inappropriate action.</li></ul>

Children do not understand the concept of "stealing" so instead of dealing with this situation using your anger, it is better to sit with your child and make him/her understand why they should not be doing this.

behaviour concerns parenting concerns

Parenting issues are a part of the everyday parenting journey. Following article(s) might help you with your concern(s).

Dealing with a constantly shouting child

Waking child up peacefully for school

Child does not share toys

Dealing with a stubborn child

Keeping a child in discipline

Dealing with Toddler Tantrums

Teaching child not to back answer

Promoting child’s self esteem

Dealing with child's habit of stealing things

More like this

Bee Suggestions

About Bee