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Defiant Children - Understanding Defiance and Oppositional Characters
By Andrew Loh
According to the Princeton University, the word defiance is:
Just sit down and imagine the children, who consistently lose their cool
and temper, argue with others, deliberately defy others' requests and
rules, and do all those things that annoy and trouble others. Compliment
these undesirable behaviors with their habit of blaming others for their
misbehavior! Such children aren't exactly liked either by their peers or
by other adults. These are also the children, who deliberately break
ground rules and still enjoy doing them.
Confronting defiant behavior by children is a big challenge. Most
defiant children start exhibiting this negative character from age 2
or 3. Defiant behavior in children is a negative trend and it should be
handled promptly as soon you notice it. Defiance should not be treated
lightly, as it may flare itself as a very big problem later on. It is
also a progressive problem that tends to get worse, as children grow and
become adults.
Most defiant children, who exhibit this trait, tend to acquire it by the
age of three or four. As they grow and reach the age of eight or nine,
this problem may become acute. Available research shows us that in a
classroom and in playground, peers may reject a defiant child within the
first 30 minutes. Defiant children may show extreme aggression with
their peers and they could also be very hostile with their friends.
Defiance always shows up at home first before appearing in the
classroom. If parents fail to curtail this negative habit, their
children may lose their way to many bad habits later on in their life,
when they reach their teen age. It is also very difficult to treat this
negative behavior, when children reach the age of 10. Defiance among
children leads to extreme frustration amongst their parents. Nothing may
seem to work for parents of children who are severely defiant. Some
parents may ignore defiant behavior in their children until it is too
late.
Most children are defiant and oppositional from time to time. They are
particularly defiant when they are tired, extremely hungry or upset with
someone or something. They may start to argue, talk back, disobey or
protest their parents, when they are under severe stress. Defiance is a
part of children's life especially when they are in their second or
third year. However, when it becomes seriously unbearable, parents may
need to think seriously on finding practical solutions to the problem.
There may be a series of defiant children symptoms that are too visible
to be missed. Some of these symptoms are:
Frequent shows of temper and aggression: Temper and aggression
are very common among children who are defiant. At times, defiant
children may even become violent. Defiant children may also exhibit
extreme irritation towards others, even though there are no causative
factors.
Excessive arguments and quarrels: Defiant children are always
argumentative and quarrelsome. They have the habit of picking up
arguments with their parents and peers at the slightest provocation.
Questioning set rules and regulations: Children who are defiant
always question the rules set by parents and classrooms. They may start
argue, why those rules do not apply for them.
Refusal to comply with requests made by parents: This is perhaps
one of the most visible symptoms. Children who show oppositional
characters refuse to comply with any requests made by their parents.
Crude and deliberate attempts to annoy or upset other people:
Children who are defiant and oppositional always try to upset and annoy
other people. In fact, they do it deliberately and with clear
intentions.
Putting blames on others for their misbehavior or mistakes:
Children who are defiant, blame others for their mistakes. This may
happen so commonly with their younger siblings. Some children may even
do this intentionally because, they may not know what they are doing is
wrong.
Extremely sensitive: Defiant children are extremely sensitive
towards changes in their living environment. They may not be tolerant of
others asking them questions. Classroom work may irritate them, while
homework chore may disturb their mind.
Mean and bad words in their talk: When they get angry, defiant
children may start talking many mean words that may not be used in a
home or classroom.
Dodging work and daily chore: Such children may dodge their
homework or classroom assignments. They may also be very lethargic in
their attitude, when it comes to do their daily work like bathing or
dressing up for the school.
Defiance among children is an extremely worrying situation for parents.
Parents should try to nip this negative trait in its budding stage.
Parents can use several methods and strategies to control defiance in
their children. Continue to read
How to Deal with Defiant Children - Tips and Methods
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