They are testing whether their parents will enforce rules 4. They are asserting themselves and their independence 5. They are protecting themselves 6. They feel bad about themselves 1. They have been rewarded for their misbehavior Children may misbehave because they have been rewarded for the behavior.
Every child needs to be noticed.
Sometimes the only way children can get their busy parents' attention is to disobey. If their parents give them attention for misbehaving then that misbehavior will increase. Children who feel overlooked will misbehave to get any kind of parent attention, even if it means being yelled at, ridiculed, or even spanked. Punishment is a reward for attention starved children. When she does, her mother becomes angry, picks Cindy up and places her in a kitchen chair for a time out.