When it comes to dealing with a bossy kid, a lot of parents are as clueless as can be. Too much of strictness might break the kid’s spirit while as completely soft hand can make the kid a despot. The balance between strictness and indulgence is a difficult one. If you have such a kid, you will know how difficult the situation can be. However, if you know how to handle the kid, it will not be such a problematic situation for you and your kid.
Tips for Handling a ‘Bossy’ Kid
Here are a few tips which will help you to manage your kids better, if he or she shows signs of bossiness.
- It is important that you can identify between a bossy nature and natural assertiveness in your child. Being bossy means domineering tendencies, but being assertive is just a manifestation of a powerful personality. When the situation arise, you may see, that your child is being plainly assertive of his or her actual rights, rather than forcing people do things. In such a case do not reprimand the child or it will break their spirit. Make sure he or she asserts themselves in the future, but without belittling or hurting people.
- The kid generally follows what her parents do in life. Thus if you want your kid not to be bossy, try and be a model person whom he or she can emulate. It is a difficult task, and you have to be conscious of your behavior all the time, but practically it is the best way to teach your kid not to be domineering.
- There might be a time when your kid is going through a bossy phase. During this time it may not be such a bad idea to let them boss around a bit, while make them see the problem of hurting others as a consequence. You can use their bossiness in positive way. For example, make them in charge of small things in the family. This makes them feel responsible, and their bossy nature gets a positive outlet.
- You can do role play in real life in order to practically explain the negative points of being bossy to your child. Tell your child that you are doing an act together and include family members if possible, and stuffed toys, dolls etc. Make him or her choose roles for each participant, and find situations when one character bosses over the other, and then show them the negative impact of the situation.
- It is important that you do not thwart your kid at every step. On the contrary say yes, as much as possible, unless it is a very unrealistic, or dangerous thing that they are asking of you. No one likes to hear too much of ‘no’ and your child is no different. He or she needs encouragement.
These are some of the useful tips which can help you to deal with a bossy kid or a kid going through a bossy phase.
