What to Do About an Overbearing Child

If your child behaves in an overbearing manner, he may have trouble interacting with others and keeping friends. It can be difficult to watch your child struggle with peers, especially if others reject him because he doesn̵7;t know how to interact positively. Help your overbearing child learn better ways of getting along with others.

  1. Observation

    • Watch your child̵7;s interactions with others to learn where troubles begin, where she struggles and any triggers that might cause problems for her, suggests Michael L. Bloomquist, author of ̶0;Skills Training or Struggling Kids.̶1; For example, you might notice that she invades a peer̵7;s personal space if she feels nervous, or your child could start interrupting and talking over people when she gets excited.

    Discussion

    • Approach your child about his difficulties with getting along happily with others because of his overbearing demeanor. Speaking calmly and lovingly, you might say, ̶0;I can hear how excited you are to talk to the other kids and play with them. It sounds like you really want everyone to notice you and hear what you have to say. Sometimes other people feel overwhelmed with your energy. It might even make them need to take a break because they̵7;re not sure how to keep up. Can I help you learn some better ways to take turns and share with others?̶1; Calm explanations and discussions can help resolve behavior struggles, advises Kimberley Blaine, author of ̶0;The Go-To Mom̵7;s Parents̵7; Guide to Emotional Coaching Young Children.̶1;

    Learning Respect

    • Teach your child how to respect others by taking turns and sharing the spotlight with the ideal give-and-take of conversations, advises educator Carole Bell, with the Parenting From the Source website. You might give her practice in stepping back from focus by consciously striving to give all members of your family equal talking time. It̵7;s also beneficial to teach basic physical respect that includes not touching others without permission and respecting other people̵7;s personal space by not standing too close to people.

    Praising Success

    • When your youngster has habits of domineering interactions and acting in an overbearing manner, it may take time and effort to institute changes with new behaviors. Watch his behavior and conversations with others to note effort and improvement in respecting others. When you see these efforts, pull him aside and offer specific praise for the positive behaviors to help reinforce his improvement.

    Other Issues

    • If efforts to help your child improve social skills fail, it̵7;s possible that your child may have other issues to resolve. Consult your child̵7;s physician about her difficulties. Problems with impulse control and inattentiveness may need additional treatment by professionals.

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