What Should Be Done When A Child Is Back-Talking

Parents teach their kids to have good manners and proper conduct because they want them to grow as a respected person. One heartbreaking stage in parenting is when your child starts to talk back at you. As a parent, you feel disrespected and offended when your own child talks back whenever you are teaching them a lesson.

Why They Back Talk

How can a parent discipline a child who talks back to them? First, a parent must know the reason why young children back talks. According to Babycenter, the author of "Positive Discipline," Jane Nelsen, said that young children talk back because they have the guarantee to catch their parents' attention. Children also talk back because it's a way of expressing frustration and anger.

It's normal for parents to get angry or scold their children who are showing this kind of negative behavior but parents should also be careful in responding to their child according to Parents.com. You can't fight fire with fire so your negative reaction to his back talking behavior can possibly worsen it and weaken your parent-child relationship.

What Should Be Done

Positive discipline doesn't mean you have to be lenient to your child. A positive discipline is reinforcing your child's bad behavior in a positive way rather than verbally or physically hurting them.

One good example is when your child talks back, you tell them in a firm tone that "it's not an acceptable response because it disrespects parents." Decide on a consequence that will make them realize what they did was wrong.

Another good example is taking something away that they enjoy doing. You can temporarily take away their freedom to play as a consequence. It is for them to reflect about the issue.

Discipline With Positive Reinforcement

Once each side has cooled down, try to start a positive conversation with your child and insert a brief explanation why you have to do it. It is helpful to say "this should not happen again," when discussing the issue. It's a simple reminder that what they did is wrong.

As a positive reinforcement, give back their freedom to enjoy playing with extra treats. Never forget to compliment them in obeying your rules.