Understanding Child Behavior and the Root-Causes of Challenging Behaviors

As time permits, when you are observing your child’s challenging behaviour and it doesn’t require an immediate response, we recommend reviewing the “3 Reasons for Challenging Behaviour” to help you think before you react to your child’s challenging behaviour.

We want you to be “thinking” and not “reacting” to your child’s challenging behaviours. We know that you love your child deeply and that you want to help resolve your child’s challenging behaviours. Our goal is to help you “think” as clearly as possible on how to best assist your child.

This developmental framework lays out for you a clear means to assess and then respond to your child’s challenging behaviours.

Knowing the “3 Reasons for Challenging Behaviour” is key in really understanding what assistance and support your child needs.

So look and listen before you act. Practice non-reaction in order to gather awareness of what your child is doing and thinking about, and what might be causing the behaviour. Once you have awareness about the real reasons behind your child’s challenging behaviour, you’ll be able to help your child resolve their behaviour at the roots.

And, as we previously mentioned, fixing the foundation of the issue is the only way to provide your child and your family with a long-term and permanent resolution to your child’s behaviour.

3 Reasons for Challenging Behaviour


1. Your child has a legitimate need that is not being met, such as food, water, attention, closeness, sense of belonging, respect, rest, affection, exercise, stimulation, learning, etc.
2. Your child doesn’t have enough information or understanding about a situation. He may be too young to understand or remember a rule. Therefore he may need more communication or education about it.
3. Your child may have an accumulation of stress from the past, and therefore is unable to think clearly. He may be experiencing strong emotions, he may be scared, angry, resentful, disappointed, insecure, etc.
Ask yourself these three questions in order to break free from reactive parenting and respond more intelligently to your child by understanding the real reason why he is exhibiting undesirable behaviour. 


1. Does my child have an unmet need ? 
2. Does my child lack information, or is he too young to understand or remember a rule?
3. Is there an accumulation of stress?