The way we communicate with our kids can impact their ability to learn, listen and respond to us. In this new series, psychologists, educators and childcare experts answer our queries on communicating with children across various topics, from talking about death and mortality to sexuality, mental health, finance and more.
Your child uses hurtful words and foul language whenever he doesn’t get his way. As he grows older, you start noticing a change in his attitude – he talks back whenever you ask him to do his homework, or refuses to listen when asked to put away the digital tablet.
Soon, disciplining him becomes a nearly impossible task without him spewing vulgarities or shouting hurtful phrases at you.
Here, Alfred Tan, chief executive officer of the Singapore Children’s Society, and Dr Foo Koong Hean, senior lecturer of psychology from James Cook University Singapore and author of Negotiation Parenting share some tips on how parents can nip these problematic behaviours in the bud.