Don’t ignore it
Ignoring it won’t make it go away nor will it solve the problem, in fact it could make it worse, especially if your child’s bad attitude is down to them seeking attention off you. If you let your youngster continue the way they are going, they will simply start to believe their attitude is acceptable and continue to do it so you need to point it out to them whenever it happens.
Stay calm and focus
It your child stamps their feet, slams doors or generally shows signs of being disrespectful it is important you stay calm and focused. By letting your own emotions run away you are showing your child that it is acceptable to act that way - you can’t have one rule for them and another for yourself.
Where does the problem lie?
You need to access what part of the attitude you want to change. Going in with the notion that they have a general bad attitude can leave you feeling worn out before you even tackle the problem and your little one feeling like everything they do is bad. Try to make note of the attitude that you want to change whether it’s being dismissive to school work or not helping out in the family home so that you can both focus your attention on fixing that problem without thinking there are a million little things to change.
Don’t tell them they have a bad attitude
If you are constantly telling your son or daughter that they have a bad attitude you are giving them a label which can be very difficult to shake off. And unfortunately over time rather than being something to shake off it will become a name that they cling to as a form of identity.
You need to break the habit
Just like brushing their teeth before bed, an attitude can become a sort of habit – and we all know how difficult it is to break a habit. But knowing this will mean that you won’t expect changes straight away and will be prepared for the long struggle.
