What Is Normal Misbehavior in Children?

A kid wouldn't be a kid if he didn't get into a little mischief occasionally. Nudging at your patience by acting out often comes with your child's pursuit of independence. The difference between normal and abnormal misbehavior isn't always black and white. The definition of "normal' misbehavior" varies considerably from one child to the next, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  1. Normal Or Not?

    • Generally, determining whether an inappropriate behavior crosses the line boils down to its severity. For example, an older brother destroying his sister's doll before hiding it from her is probably outside the boundaries of what's considered normal behavior. Age is another important consideration when deciding whether a child's behavior is normal. If the older brother is 5 years old, it's quite different than if he's 16 years old.

    Parents are Role Models

    • A child's misbehavior might be considered normal if it stems from regularly witnessing her parent's undesirable actions. If your child swears at you or makes unkind comments when she's upset, it's hard to blame her if you've set a poor example by using bad language. Working on improving your behavior, whether it's to stop swearing or yelling, can rub off on your child, according to University of Missouri Extension.

    Please Notice Me

    • Children who feel unloved or neglected are more likely to pull stunts -- like intentionally spilling grape soda on your newly shampooed rug, according to the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Kids who feel dismissed or ignored might be full of anger and conclude that misbehaving is the only sure way to get the attention they crave. The attention might be negative, but at least the parent is focusing on the child.

    Peer Power

    • A child might cave under peer pressure and go along with any number of schemes. For example, a peer group -- perhaps out of sheer boredom -- might agree to sneak out of the school building during lunch, skip a class or cheat on a test. Sometime extracurricular activities such as playing sports can set the stage for aggression that can lead to misbehavior, according to a report titled "Understanding the Misbehaving Child" published by Minnesota-based Glencoe Regional Health Services in March 2012. For example, a disagreement over whether a player broke a rule might get out of hand and lead to pushing and shoving. Such behavior is rude and unkind, but not necessarily abnormal.

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