Sometimes it can be helpful to explore a child’s motivations to see if disruptive or bad behavior may be defense mechanisms masking difficult emotions. For example, a 5-year-old might begin acting out after a new baby is born. The anger could mask his sadness at feeling displaced by the new baby in the family. Parents could then approach the angry outbursts by speaking to the child about the change and balancing their attention between the two when possible instead of disciplining the child. A child’s ability to accept and master painful feelings will help him or her mature into a well-adjusted adult.