撰文:嬰幼兒心理發展協會 心理諮詢師 程衛強先生
「孩子故意做出挑戰你底線的行為嗎?」
「孩子的行為跟你的意願完全相反嗎?」
「孩子怎樣罰都不怕,還好像愈罰愈『曳』!」
這些都是你的寫照嗎?很多時候,父母們都會為孩子的行為而操心不已,但其實孩子行為的背後,可能有著不同的情緒,例如孩子可能因為爭寵而故意作出反叛行為,又或因為想得到父母的關注,而作出不當行為,如果這樣的話,可能會「愈罰愈不聽話」!
美國著名的情緒心理學家Plutchik指出,我們有 8種基本情緒 (Plutchik, 1993),包括接納、預期、厭惡、憤怒、悲傷、恐懼、快樂及驚訝,這些情緒會按「情緒鏈 (Emotion Chain)」表現出來,包括:(一)刺激、(二)想法、(三)情緒、(四)行為和(五)效果。
舉例說,哥哥見到媽媽在照顧年幼的妹妹(刺激),不禁想到媽媽可能只愛妹妹而不再理會自己了(想法),因此出現悲傷和憤怒等情緒(情緒),於是便故意搗蛋(行為),結果媽媽放下妹妹在嬰兒床,然後「處理」哥哥(效果)。在哥哥的眼中,媽媽總算放下了妹妹,因此,該行為達到效果。
Written by: Child Psychological Development Association,
Psychological Counselor, Mr. Ching Wai Keung
“Is your child deliberately engaging in behavior that challenges your limits?”
“Does your child’s behavior completely contradict your wishes?”
“No matter how you punish your child, it seems like they become more defiant!”
Do these scenarios sound familiar to you? Many times, parents worry incessantly about their child’s behavior. However, behind the child’s behavior, there may be different emotions. For example, a child might intentionally exhibit rebellious behavior due to a desire for attention or rivalry for affection. In such cases, punishing the child may result in them becoming even more disobedient.
Renowned American emotion psychologist Plutchik pointed out that we have eight basic emotions (Plutchik, 1993), including acceptance, anticipation, disgust, anger, sadness, fear, joy, and surprise. These emotions manifest in an “Emotion Chain,” which includes stimuli, thoughts, emotions, behavior, and outcomes.
For instance, when an older brother sees his mom taking care of his younger sister (stimulus), he may think that his mom now only loves his sister and ignores him (thoughts). This could lead to emotions like sadness and anger (emotions). As a result, he may intentionally misbehave (behavior). The outcome is that the mom puts down the sister in the crib and then deals with the older brother (outcome). In the older brother’s eyes, his mom finally put down his sister, achieving the desired outcome through his behavior.
年幼的孩子未必能透過語言表達自己的想法,所以父母要了解其背後的原因,可能有點困難。其實,我們可以透過安撫孩子的情緒,並留意有關行為發生的模式,便可以改善其行為。
舉例說,哥哥每逢看到媽媽照顧妹妹就會出現不當行為,這可以推測得到哥哥是希望得到媽媽的愛。因此,媽媽可以平衡一下與哥哥及妹妹的獨處時間,讓哥哥感受到媽媽也是愛他的,也可以邀請他一起去照顧妹妹。如果被忽略時就會有不當行為,這可能是引起父母關注的一個技倆,父母可以在不當行為未出現時就給予關注,但當不當行為出現時,就以故意忽略的技巧回應,以讓孩子明白,不當行為並不能引起關注。
只要知道孩子的行為原因,對改善不當行為有莫大的幫助。想知道更多有關資訊,可與我們聯絡。
Young children may not necessarily express their thoughts through language, making it challenging for parents to understand the reasons behind their behavior. However, by soothing the child’s emotions and paying attention to patterns in their behavior, we can improve their conduct.
For example, if an older brother consistently exhibits inappropriate behavior whenever he sees his mom taking care of his younger sister, it can be inferred that he is seeking his mother’s love. In response, the mom can balance one-on-one time with both the older brother and younger sister, allowing him to feel that his mother loves him too. She can also invite him to participate in caring for the younger sister. If inappropriate behavior arises when attention is lacking, it may be a skill to attract parental attention. In such cases, parents can offer attention before inappropriate behavior occurs and deliberately ignore the behavior when it does, helping the child understand that misbehavior does not garner attention.
Understanding the reasons behind a child’s behavior is immensely helpful in improving inappropriate conduct. If you’d like to know more, feel free to contact us.