Stealing is the act of taking others’ things without their notice. It is a behavioral problem that arises in almost all children at some age. This kind of behavior in children can make parents quite upsetting.

Why do children steal things?

The reasons why do children steal things are several and the most common causes are as follows.

Lack of proper understanding: Children aged 4 or younger do not understand the concepts of ownership, private property and stealing and consider others things to be their own and take along with them without knowing it as a wrong act.

Lack of self-control: Some children steal things without self-control. They often steal when they get attracted to something new and fascinating item without considering the consequences of stealing.

Jealousy or desire: It is the most common cause of stealing in children at school age. Children at this age often steal when they find others’ things to be more attractive and desire to have similar one that they cannot get or by seeing someone showing precious desired item.

Angry or revenge: Children usually find stealing to be the best way to take revenge on others or make them feel angry. This passive-aggressive stealing behavior usually develops in children with a feeling of powerlessness.

Get attention: Children steal things and return them back to their parents as a way to get closer attention and good impression on them. They also steal things to impress peers or others.

Feeling of excitement: Some children find stealing to be an exciting and daring act and try to steal things without getting caught by others.

How to prevent your child from stealing behavior?

Handling the behavioral problem of stealing in children is fairly a difficult task. Whenever you find that your child is stealing, try to follow some of these simple ideas to prevent your child from stealing:

• Stay calm and don’t get exaggerate, as it is a good idea when tackling a child who has stolen. Consider that it is no different than any other mistakes that your child makes.

• Always be aware of where your children are and what your children are doing. Also, be friendly with your child, talk to him or her closely and clearly explain what exactly stealing is and what its consequences are.

• Instruct your child strictly not to touch others’ property without their permission.

• Never consider stealing personally. Often children steal things to get your attention and if you consider your children stealing from you as a personal attack, it means you are supporting the reason your children steal.

• Avoid blaming and punishing your child. Doing this, can make your child to hide the reasons why he or she has stolen. Make your child understand what is right and what is wrong. Once if your child realizes and confirms that his/her behavior was wrong, then give your child a chance to make a fresh start.

• Also, teach your child that you will get the desired item in the near future. This makes your child learn patience and delayed fulfillment.

So, prevent and cope with the stealing behavior in your child by ensuring your child that you are not upset with him/her, but only with his/her behavior.

Is your child angry, frustrated or rambunctious? Is he not listening and throwing the toys, books and other things on you?

Then, you have to explain to your child that throwing, biting [Tips to stop Biting], hitting and teasing are unacceptable child behaviors.

Show your child how he has to behave by taking him closing, kissing, hugging and talking smoothly.

You have to explain your child which behavior is acceptable and which is not with correct reasoning.

You have to enforce the rules consistently and strictly in order to guide your child to follow the proper path.

Closely observe your child’s play! To avoid aggressive child behavior, you have to observe your child while he is playing with his friends or while interacting with them.

Watch him while playing so that you can avoid any injury or damage that is caused due to aggressive child behavior. If your child’s friend misbehaves, treat the same way as you treat your child when he misbehaves.

Don’t become a role model for aggressive behavior! Your child observes you and imitates the same behavior. Don’t be role model for aggressive behavior.

For example, if you are angry, don’t show your anger by hitting, throwing or tearing because your child also follows the same way when is mad or angry. [Anger management techniques]

Explain why aggressive child behavior is unacceptable! Explain how aggressive child behavior will be unpleasant for both sides. Explain him how biting and hitting make the victim feel.

Tell what to do when he becomes angry! Explain that when aggressive behavior starts, ask him to leave the play group or tell him to practice some lines when his behavior began to change.

Complement the good behavior! Aggressive child behavior can be prevented when you start appreciating the good behavior of your child.

If your child shares anything with his friends or asks for any help, you can simply praise his behavior. If you praise his good behavior, he will repeat good things.

Forget the incident and don’t repeat! You should not remind the aggressive behavior of your child again and again. Once the incident is over, you have to leave it. If you remind him, he could become aggressive again.

Reprimand is used! You have to use reprimands when your child misbehaves. Reprimands are commands to stop the behavior, a reason to stop the behavior and an alternative to the behavior.

Whenever your child behaves aggressively, you have to stop him, give the reason to stop it and give an alternative to that behavior.

No shouting and spanking! Spanking may make the child to stop the aggressive behavior in front of you, but it does not stop altogether.

Spanking sends a wrong message to the child that they can be violent. Shouting or spanking makes your child to follow the same when he is angry or frustrated.

Therefore, you go in a positive way to control aggressive child behavior to guide your child towards appropriate behavior.

Almost all the kids love to play games, so the games are the major part of their lives.

Games play a major role on the development of your child. Choosing the right kid games can be a challenging task for you.

Kid games must include lot of fun to entertain your children, but you also want them to get something from the games.

It is most important to choose the right kid games for your child. Kid games enhance the emotional, physical and intellectual development of children.

There are different types of kid games including computer or video games, outdoor games, board games, card games, etc.

Computer or video games:

You can find a vast number of computer and video games. Among which some are educational games. Some kid games encourage creative thinking, improves hand and eye coordination and puzzle solving.

A good puzzle is a great way to spend time with your kids. It provides good time to think, to stimulate neural pathway development and maintenance.

Outdoor games:

Outdoor games provide a great way to encourage the teamwork and at the same time your child can get exercise. Some of the outdoor games like softball, baseball, wiffleball are good for your child exercise.

Badminton and volleyball gives lot of fun for everyone. Some of the games that require no equipment, like Goose, Tag and Duck, Duck are always favorite games for your kids.

Board games:

Board games are played with counters or pieces that are placed on the board, removed from the board, or moved across the board.

Simple board games give idea family entertainment and are often appropriate for all ages. These kid games are a great way to spend family time and encourage taking turns and playing by the rules.

There are some classic board games, like Candy land for younger children. Then some of the games like Clue promote logic and puzzle solving and Monopoly. There are also many trivia games that help test knowledge and they also provide little fun.

Card games:

Card games are always a fun activity for the whole family. Simple games like Go Fish and Old Maid help your kids learn to match. Some other card games like Cribbage can help with arithmetic skills.

Tips to choose the right kid games:

• First, determine the games that are suitable for the age of your child. Safety is the most important factor while choosing kid games. The kid games that involve physical activities are best for toddlers.
• Ensure that kid games are interactive and they develop your child social skills.
• Identify your child favorites. While choosing a game, ensure that your child will enjoy and have wonderful time learning.
• Make sure that the games that your children slot in are safe. The games should help children grow and have fun.
• Make sure that your child is always excited about the game.
• Educational games are perfect for those kids who love to discover things and ideas.

Nail biting is very common in children during their early stages. Children usually start biting nails from around age five, but very few start it as early as age 3 or 2.

Nail biting is also known as chronic onychophagia. Though nail biting is a common oral habit, it can become strong and remain for the rest of the life if it is not tackled at a very early stage.

Nail biting for longer period can make damage to the grooves or cuticles and ragged nails.

Moreover, biting the nails too far can cause bleeding near the cuticles. Too much wetting of the fingers can develop into nail infections, warts in the region of the nail bed, nail deformity and even permanent nail damage. Infections to the nails can lead to dental problems.

The reasons for developing the oral habit of biting fingernails can be anything from a terrible habit to a noticeable sign of a mental or emotional disorder. Stress, worry, hunger, anxiety, scared, boredom, improper trimming of nails, misery, inheritance, imitation of others, self-respect, and acquired behavior are recognized as the major causes.

How To Stop Nail Biting In Children?

Although the habit of nail biting is very common, some of the children are unaware of this habit. Some others know exactly what they are doing and unable to stop it. So, stopping the habit of nail biting needs parent to put a conscious effort purposely so as to keep the children away from biting their nails.

Tip#1: Make your child understand the effects of nail biting

Try to explain your child about the adverse effects of nail biting. Also, explain how dangerous nail-biting can be to the health: all the germs and dirt in the nails enters the body and cause nail infections as well as warts around the nails. Make too much of a little as long as it gets into their mind.

Tip#2: Keep track of your children’s activities

Observe your child carefully as ‘what makes your child to bite nails?’ ‘Is the child biting regularly or rarely?’ Once you identify these, it becomes easy for you to handle the condition. Rubbing the nails with something bitter can make the child frown and remove the fingers out immediately, whenever they make trials to bite the nails.

Tip#3: Keep your child/ren’s hands busy all time

Simply telling the child not to bite their nails is not enough. As said earlier, children bite their nails because of boredom. Keeping their hands busy all the time can divert them from biting the nails. So, always try to keep your child’s hand busy by offering something to occupy the hands with.

Tip#4: Control temptation

One of the reasons for nail biting in children is temptation. If you find temptation to be the main cause of nail biting in your kids, make your child to wear cotton gloves or finger puppets during those times.

Tip#5: Cut the nails

Cutting the nails of your child at regular intervals can help to keep the child away from nail biting. Remember that poor trimming of the nails makes your child to bite them. So keep a check on their nails and ensure that they are trimmed and smoothened properly.

Are you worried about your baby sleep through out the night? Here are some tips that help your baby sleep well at night.

Tips for making your baby sleep:

The bed time ideas have worked for baby care centre parents. You can also find it better as you will find time to spend with your baby.

Your baby can relax well if he/she has good sleep. You can make a routine bed time for your baby sleep by reading stories, putting pajamas, playing quiet games, cuddling and bathing at regular timings.

Bath-time is one kind of idea for baby sleep. Your baby can have soothing experience by placing her in warm water. Cleaning and drying makes the baby to sleep.

Stop this routine idea if the baby gets excited at the time of bathing. You can read the story or quietly cuddle to make the baby sleep.

When your baby is ready for bed time routine, which includes brushing the teeth, washing hands and face, wiping her gums, putting the pajamas and changing the nappies, it can become a habit for your baby as the baby grows young.

You can have some fun time by playing quite games in your baby’s bed room or on the floor. The game should be simple as the peak-a-boo; see that the baby is not excited during the entertainment.

Put a post card or toy or a piece of material in the cradle and ask your baby to find it out but don’t forget to remove the things from the cradle before you place the baby in it.

The bed time is the best opportunity for you to spend the time with your baby. If you don’t know what to speak at first, you can speak about the things done from the morning.

Singing is the best idea that the baby enjoys to listen to the favorite voices, soothing melody and soft music which makes your baby calm. In case you don’t remember those tunes, you can turn to lyrics for refreshing. If you follow these techniques, your baby can sleep properly.

You can also play some classical music through CD or tape or your child’s favorite music which makes your baby to sleep. Gentle music can drown out the outside noise and soothes the baby.

Learn the signs that are meant for your baby’s tiredness. Watch the signs that your baby is sleepy. See whether the baby is pulling his/her ears, rubbing his/her eyes or developing the dark circles under eyes.

These are the signs for sleepiness. At that moment, put the baby for a nap. You can soon understand the developing patterns and rhythms and instinctively know when the baby is ready to go to sleep.