Question

“Friends call my two and a half year old daughter, a “spirited child”, but it’s more like she loses control when she doesn’t get exactly what she wants, when she wants it.   I am just about at the end of my rope and am afraid to take her out in public because she will inevitably throw a tantrum until she gets a treat. Why is she like this and what can I do to make her behave?”

a) What is the most likely explanation for this behaviour (be sure to draw upon your knowledge of typical development as well as what is in the case study).

b) What questions would you like to ask the parent to better understand the situation? (In other words, what information are you missing in order to confirm your assumptions)?

c) What would you recommend?

Answer 1

A. It appears that the child has been reinforced by the mother to display difficult behaviour, as the only method of fulfilling her needs and wants. It is likely that the child has learned that she can immediately gratify her desires by throwing tantrums.

B. I would delve deeper into my assumption by asking the mothers questions that would allow me to trace the origin of the behaviour, and gauge the mother’s initial response patterns when it began. From these questions, I would able to assess whether the child’s behaviour is indeed reinforced by the mother’s response.

C. I would recommend the mother to begin reinforcing more healthier patterns of behaviour, such as addressing the child’s needs only when it is presented appropriately. Simultaneously, she can also discourage the child’s difficult behaviour by giving her a small reward for every social situation in which the child does not throw a tantrum.