130 social skills
If the tantrum is in response to a limit you have set, do not allow
your child’s behavior to change the limit. If you give in to your child’s
behavior, he will learn that he can get what he wants from you by
having a tantrum.
When your child misbehaves or has a tantrum in public
If a child behaves badly in public, pick the child up if you can
and remove her from the situation. Try to act calmly and
without anger. Take her out of the store, away from the
market, or wherever the problem happens. If you can,
find a private place for her to calm down. If neccessary,
have someone else stay with her while you finish what you
need to do.
It may seem easier to keep a child at home than to worry
about behavior problems in public. But it is important for
all children to learn how to behave in public and to be
part of the community.
Our actions are powerful teachers
As with any family, it is very important for a family with a deaf child
to set a good example. The family must act the way they want their
deaf child to act, and encourage their child by explaining what kind
of behavior they like. But it is not easy to set a good example and
encourage children to behave well.
Raising small children can often be frustrating. And when
communication is difficult, it is even harder to teach a child how to
behave. Because communication with deaf children is more difficult,
parents and other caregivers may become frustrated with them and hit
or shake them. See Chapter 14 for more
No, Oscar! information to help parents and caregivers.
It can be hard for people to change the ways
they discipline children. Most people discipline
children the same way they themselves were
disciplined as children. But when we handle our
own frustration without becoming violent, we are
sending our children a powerful message that
they too can handle frustration without violence.
Here is a story about how one group of parents
worked to change the way they disciplined their
children.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)