SAC713.html Guiding Children's Behavior by Millie Ferrer, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Dept. of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences One of the most challenging roles we have as guardians of small children is to help guide their behavior. We can achieve this goal by demonstrating respect, kindness, patience and persistence when interacting with them. All children display undesirable behavior at some time. Children are curious and impulsive in nature. They are growing in the process of developing social skills, but they lack adult experience.
Children also have a strong desire to be independent.
They may go beyond the boundaries and limits set by their caregivers. Understanding children's development and providing careful guidance of their behavior can lead them in the right direction toward developing self-confidence and problem solving skills. It is important for the caregiver to know the typical stages of a child's development and what to expect from children of different age levels. It is also the adult's responsibility to make certain that the child's surroundings and activities are developmentally appropriate for the child. This can avoid a lot of frustration for the child as well as for the adult.