Challenging Behavior

Learn how to successfully respond to your child as they grow socially and emotionally and explore new ways of expressing themselves.

Behavior Challenges Tantrums Listening + Tone of Voice Discipline Self-Regulation Impulse Control
Behavior Challenges
How to Handle Challenging Behavior

“The way we talk to children becomes their inner voice.” -Peggy O’Mara

Ages
3-4,
4-5
How to Handle Challenging Behavior
Ages
3-4,
4-5
How to Handle an Emotional Meltdown

In the heat of an emotional meltdown, it’s hard to remember what to do. So we use *SKOR* for quick recall....

Ages
2-3,
3-4
How to Handle an Emotional Meltdown
Ages
2-3,
3-4
When Your Preschooler Hits: Part 1 – What’s Going On?

By learning why young children hit – learning what is developmentally going on in their brains when they hit –...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
When Your Preschooler Hits: Part 1 – What’s Going On?
Ages
2-3,
3-4
When Your Preschooler Hits: Part 2 – What to Do and Say

Knowing why a child hits is the first step in handling a challenging ‘hitting’ situation. Next, how should you respond...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
When Your Preschooler Hits: Part 2 – What to Do and Say
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Transitions: Part 1 – Why Transitions Are So Hard

#1 daily challenge with children: How to get from A to Z without fighting, yelling or throwing a tantrum? Learn why...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
Transitions: Part 1 – Why Transitions Are So Hard
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Transitions: Part 2 – How to Get Through Peacefully

Knowing why transitions are difficult is half the puzzle. The other half is how to get through them. Teachers go...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
Transitions: Part 2 – How to Get Through Peacefully
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Whining – Make It Stop!

One of the most frequent complaints we get from parents is around whining. We get it – even as teachers....

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Whining – Make It Stop!
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Tattling vs. Telling

Tattling is very common but it can be shaped by our responses to their tattling. Teach your child this simple rhyme to work...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Critical Thinking
Language + Literacy
Tattling vs. Telling
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Critical Thinking
Language + Literacy
Fibbing vs. Lying – Why Preschoolers Lie

Around the ages of four and five, children begin to tell ‘tall tales’. They may also begin to tell fibs...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Fibbing vs. Lying – Why Preschoolers Lie
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Go-To Parenting Scripts – How to Respond to Your Child

Learn how to respond to your child’s challenging behavior or big emotions with empathy. Use our go-to parenting scripts for...

Ages
5-6,
6-7
Go-To Parenting Scripts – How to Respond to Your Child
Ages
5-6,
6-7
Why Children Lie and What You Can Do and Say

A practical roadmap to guide your response when your child lies. Understand the common developmental reasons for why children lie...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
Why Children Lie and What You Can Do and Say
Ages
6-7,
7-8
What to Do and Not Do When Your Child Lies

A simple sequence for what to do (and not to do) when your child lies, and strategies to lay the...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
What to Do and Not Do When Your Child Lies
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Tantrums
Tantrums – Part 1: What’s Going On?

Children experience emotions just like adults, but they need support and guidance to: 1) Understand their emotions; and 2) Make...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
Tantrums – Part 1: What’s Going On?
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Tantrums – Part 2: What You Could Do

Tantrums are hard to manage – for everyone. Here’s our checklist for what to do…in the first 5 minutes.

Ages
2-3,
3-4
Tantrums – Part 2: What You Could Do
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Tantrums – Part 3: What You Could Say

The reality is we have no control over when our child calms down. Parenting and teaching is not quick and...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
Tantrums – Part 3: What You Could Say
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Tantrums – Part 4: Before and After

It takes work and repetition, but indeed, there are things that can be done to pre-empt a tantrum and ways...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
Tantrums – Part 4: Before and After
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Anger Management 101: Part 1 – What’s Going On?

Discover how your child’s brain and body are emotionally and physically processing their anger, and strategies and tools to help...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
Anger Management 101: Part 1 – What’s Going On?
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Anger Management 101: Part 2 – What Does Anger Look Like?

Identify what anger looks like across different developmental ages and understand what is a typical anger expression and what is...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
Anger Management 101: Part 2 – What Does Anger Look Like?
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Anger Management 101: Part 3 – What You Could Do and Say

Key strategies and tools to use before, during and after your child’s angry outbursts – all in a simple printable...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
Anger Management 101: Part 3 – What You Could Do and Say
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Anger Management 101: Part 4 – Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about handling a child’s angry behaviors. From, “How do I know what is normal?” to “My...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
Anger Management 101: Part 4 – Frequently Asked Questions
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Listening + Tone of Voice
How to Encourage Listening – A Simple Sequence to Follow

One of the most frequent questions we get from parents is, “How do I get my child to listen?” It’s...

Ages
3-4,
4-5
How to Encourage Listening – A Simple Sequence to Follow
Ages
3-4,
4-5
How to Encourage Listening – FAQs

Encouraging your child to listen can sometimes be very hard (even when you have our trusty checklist of things to...

Ages
3-4,
4-5
How to Encourage Listening – FAQs
Ages
3-4,
4-5
Language / Tone of Voice – Part 1: Why It Happens

At around age 4, you may see all sorts of dramatic language changes – talking back, harsh tones of voice,...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Language / Tone of Voice – Part 1: Why It Happens
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Language / Tone of Voice – Part 2: Stop, Think, Re-Do!

It’s normal to hear your child experimenting with dramatic language at around age 4 (e.g., talking back, harsh tones of...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Language / Tone of Voice – Part 2: Stop, Think, Re-Do!
Ages
4-5,
5-6
How to Handle Defiance, Disrespectful Language and Tone of Voice

Concrete steps to help identify why your maturing child may be using disrespectful language or tone of voice and how...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
How to Handle Defiance, Disrespectful Language and Tone of Voice
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Discipline
Discipline: Part 1 – Why Discipline (Not Punishment)

Understand the difference between discipline and punishment to change a child’s behavior in the future. Let’s focus on creating effective...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Discipline: Part 1 – Why Discipline (Not Punishment)
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Discipline: Part 2 – Discipline in Practice

Discover how discipline and punishment differ in practice.

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Discipline: Part 2 – Discipline in Practice
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Discipline: Part 3 – Logical Consequences

Learn how to appeal to your child’s thinking brain and shape their future behavior by instilling discipline (vs. imposing punishment)....

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Discipline: Part 3 – Logical Consequences
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Reinforce (vs. Reward) Positive Behavior

Imagine a magical world where children are internally motivated to be kind and generous. It’s doable!

Ages
3-4,
4-5
Reinforce (vs. Reward) Positive Behavior
Ages
3-4,
4-5
Discipline for Older Children: Part 1 – What’s Going On?

Learn why maturing children struggle with challenging behavior and how they developmentally need a different approach to discipline.

Ages
6-7,
7-8
Discipline for Older Children: Part 1 – What’s Going On?
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Discipline for Older Children: Part 2 – What You Could Do

How to discipline your maturing child when you encounter problematic behavior. Key in-the-moment concepts to practice, including scripts you can...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
Discipline for Older Children: Part 2 – What You Could Do
Ages
6-7,
7-8
5 Foundational Practices to Implement Before Discipline

Make it easier to withstand your child’s behavioral storms – key foundational and behavioral practices you should implement before you...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
5 Foundational Practices to Implement Before Discipline
Ages
6-7,
7-8
Self-Regulation
How to Teach Your Child to Identify Their Feelings and Emotions

Learn why it is important for your child to be able to identify their emotions, and help them build their...

Ages
3-4,
4-5
How to Teach Your Child to Identify Their Feelings and Emotions
Ages
3-4,
4-5
Self-Regulation – Part 1: Optimize Your Child’s Learning

Including your child in their own learning process about how to self-regulate is empowering and long-lasting. Here’s how everyday tools...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Self-Regulation – Part 1: Optimize Your Child’s Learning
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Self-Regulation – Part 2: Body Engine Checker System

Here’s a practical tool and script to support your child’s self-regulation and emotional awareness – it provides a shared language to signal...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Self-Regulation – Part 2: Body Engine Checker System
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Self-Regulation – Part 3: Recover from a Meltdown

Make a go-to place for your child to find comfort and safety when their internal engines feel out-of-sorts. Whether you...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Self-Regulation – Part 3: Recover from a Meltdown
Ages
4-5,
5-6
How to Teach Your Child to Independently Calm Down

A go-to list of calming strategies that your child can independently use to get back on track when they feel...

Ages
5-6,
6-7
How to Teach Your Child to Independently Calm Down
Ages
5-6,
6-7
A Simple Exercise to Calm and Re-Center Your Child

A breathing exercise to help your child move through the rocky moments in their day. Easy to do and remember....

Ages
4-5,
5-6
A Simple Exercise to Calm and Re-Center Your Child
Ages
4-5,
5-6
What Anxiety Looks Like and How to Support Your Child

Learn how to help your child handle the expected feelings related to anxiety, and how to identify when anxiety moves...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
What Anxiety Looks Like and How to Support Your Child
Ages
6-7,
7-8
How to Teach Your Child Coping Skills for Their Anxious Behavior

When your child begins having anxious thoughts, empower them with practical self-help strategies and coping skills so that they can...

Ages
6-7,
7-8
How to Teach Your Child Coping Skills for Their Anxious Behavior
Ages
6-7,
7-8
The Benefits of Mindfulness and Easy Ways to Practice It

The benefits of mindfulness and how it can help your child thrive. How to naturally and authentically infuse mindfulness into...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
The Benefits of Mindfulness and Easy Ways to Practice It
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Take a Mindful Minute

Help your child to control their thoughts by making Mindful Minutes a routine. Your step-by-step guide on why, how and...

Ages
4-5,
5-6
Take a Mindful Minute
Ages
4-5,
5-6
Impulse Control
Sensory Processing Development 101

‘Sensory processing development’ is vital to understanding how children learn. It is deeply studied among early childhood experts, but not...

Ages
2-3,
3-4
Language + Literacy
Fine Motor + Gross Motor
Sensory Processing Development 101
Ages
2-3,
3-4
Language + Literacy
Fine Motor + Gross Motor
On Impulse Control: Part 1 – What Is It?

It may feel like a number of impulsive behaviors are seemingly normal for children. But what is ‘normal’? In this...

Ages
5-6,
6-7
Critical Thinking
Fine Motor + Gross Motor
On Impulse Control: Part 1 – What Is It?
Ages
5-6,
6-7
Critical Thinking
Fine Motor + Gross Motor
On Impulse Control: Part 2 – What You Could Do

Brain differences make it hard for a child to control their behavior. Understanding your child’s impulsive behaviors can help you...

Ages
5-6,
6-7
Critical Thinking
Fine Motor + Gross Motor
On Impulse Control: Part 2 – What You Could Do
Ages
5-6,
6-7
Critical Thinking
Fine Motor + Gross Motor
*STOP!* An Easy Technique for Impulse Control

Empower your child to manage their emotions and regain control in heated situations with *STOP!*

Ages
5-6,
6-7
*STOP!* An Easy Technique for Impulse Control
Ages
5-6,
6-7
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