Bossiness: Teach Children Not To Be Bossy

Obviously everyone knows that a person with a bossy attitude want to be the ones in charge. They want to make the rules, they choose what to do, they do it how they want and they don’t bother listening to what other people have to say. It is possible that their bossy attitude will help them someday become a good leader, but at this age their peers do not like it.

Even though you want your child to know how to take responsibility for things, you want to teach your child to change their dictator attitude into something positive and respectful to other people’s feelings. Once you teach them the right way to act, they will most certainty be more well-liked and it will also increase their social status. You may think that your child is just a born leader, which may be the case, but you have to remember that a leader takes the time to listen to issues, considers others, and benefits others, not just themselves.

Signs and Symptoms of Bossy Attitude

Bossy attitude can affect emotional and social development. Below are a few signs and symptoms of bossy attitude. Make sure you witness these symptoms while they hang out with other children.

• They dictate the situation

• They start to boss you around

• They have to have it their way

• They will not compromise with anyone

• Friends stop trying to hang out with them

• Other adults say that they are bossy

• They do not think they are bossy

The Solution to Bossy Attitude

There are many ways to cure a bossy attitude. Follow all of the tips below to teach your child how to stop bossy attitude.

Uncover the Reason

The only way to help your child is if you find the reason they display this bossy attitude. Once you find the reason you are able to help them. Look at the reasons below. Do any of them apply to your child?

• They mimic others

• Someone is always reinforcing them

• They expect to take charge

• They are insecure and boss people around to make up for insecurities

• They want to have a sense of power

• They are always picked on

• They are ignored by others

• They lack any sort of empathy

• They lack social experience

Sometimes Democracy Is a Good Thing

Don’t have a dictatorship in your household and make sure you tell your child that it will not go this way. Make a new rule in your home that will allow everyone to vote on any sort of activity. This will show your child that everyone should have a say and they will then apply it when they hang out with other children.

Teach Your Child Cooperation

Make sure that your child is able to properly cooperate with other children. You need to teach them to share, take turns, and listen to others requests. Then you must expect your child to use these skills when they are with their peers. Also tell them that bossy people are not well liked and they should change their ways.

Call Them Out

When you see your child bossing someone around make sure that you pull them aside and tell them that they are being bossy. Do not accuse them though; try to find a different way of telling them.

Stay Calm

Make sure you stay calm when helping your child learn how to stop bossy attitude. This way you will save yourself from a lot of unnecessary conflict.

Set a Consequence

Show your child that you are serious about teaching them how to stop being bossy by setting some consequences for when they become bossy. If they treat one of their friends unfairly tell them that next time they boss them around they will not be able to have them over. If they do not share, take whatever it is that are not sharing away. This way they will learn that they need to stop their bossy attitude fast or they will suffer the consequences. Remember to stay calm though.