Feelings are at the root of all behavior.
When children have good feelings at their roots, positive behavior will grow like a healthy tree full of leaves. When behavior is negative, we must check the roots.
Children do not always understand the negative feelings they experience or why they internalize or externalize those feelings. Unhealthy or destructive behavior from children often gets big reactions from adults, who just want the behavior to stop. If we address the behavior without addressing the root feelings, the tree will grow unhealthy leaves (negative behavior).
All that being said, it’s not easy to pinpoint what might be the root cause of a challenging behavior. And when you do get to the root, what’s next? What does the child need from us in order to learn and cope in healthy ways?
Here are some common behaviors (leaves), possible reasons behind them (roots), and what children might need from us adults to help them along the way.
Sources:
Wagner, R. FLIP IT! Transforming Challenging Behavior. Kaplan Early Learning Company, 2011.
Cairone, Karen, and Mary Mackrain. Promoting Resilience in Preschoolers: A Strategy Guide for Early Childhood Professionals. 2nd ed., Kaplan Early Learning Company, 2012.
