Do you remember a long time ago when you first held your child after he was born? You then started to imagine how what child would grow up to be. You imagined him saying his first words, taking his first steps, going to school and so on. You believed your child was an angel, and completely perfect. Unconsciously, you set a standard for that child and you expect those standards to be met. As the years passed, every time your child misbehaved, you just thought of it as a “normal” thing that a child does. You probably did your best to solve the problem, and went on your merry way thinking that you’d dealt with it. Maybe you didn’t notice the problem grow into something bigger, nor did you realize that different parenting skills were required.

It is time to wake up and face the truth. Your child has behavior problems that need to be handled firmly and immediately.

I know that many parents have a hard time accepting that their kids have behavior problems. They would rather make excuses as to why their kids act this way or that way. You may have heard yourself saying to a friend or relative, “Johnny is just going through a phase and it is very difficult for him right now” or, “He is coping with being a teenager and he will eventually come around”. I have personally heard these words slip out of the mouthes of many parents. Rejecting the notion that your child’s behavior is unacceptable is not going to help your child. On the contrary, it will only make matters worse.

Remember that children are programmed to manipulate their parents. You probably notice this when your child was young. Back then, you thought it was cute and charming ang that it was a sign of intelligence. If you let it get out of hand as they grow older, you’ll need a lot of Tylenol for your headaches. This might be what you are going through right now. Are you being manipulated into thinking that there is someone else to blame for their actions.

Remember – nobody is holding a gun to your child’s head making them behave in an unacceptable way. But you tend to believe your child in the hopes that the problem will go away in due time. The problem is not time – it is your child’s behavior.

It isn’t his friend’s fault if he comes home drunk. It isn’t the child next door that forced him to start using drugs, or join a gang. You are not a failure because your child hasn’t turned out the way you wanted – and you can ALWAYS change things for the better starting today.

Accepting all these may not come easy, but acknowledging that your child may have deviated from social norms is a good start. All those dreams and hopes you once had for child doesn’t need to fade away. With the right parenting skills, your child can still become that great person you envisioned him to be.

It is not easy to handle child misbehavior. I have found a program that aims at helping you deal with your child effectively. Get a copy of The Total Transformation by James Lehman.

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