Parenting Tips to Use With Defiant Children Ages 3 to 6

Have you ever felt that your child is never going to listen to you? If you have you may have a child who suffers from Oppositional Defiant disorder, or ODD. It can be caused by many reasons, perhaps a mother smoked when they were pregnant. Or there may even be a genetic mutation that causes ODD.

Young children from ages 3 to 6 at times get away with a lot of defiant behavior. This may only be because they are young and people will think a three year old is only going through those "terrible threes". But this isn't always the case, and if you don't stop this behavior now, it can lead to even worse behavior when the child is older.

So how do you go about parenting a defiant child? Well you need to have a firm set of rules, structure, and consequences in place. No more letting a child who is in "that mood" get away with screaming, yelling, or whatever way they decide to show defiance.

Be firm in those consequences and don't let a child not have a consequence for a behavior that is defiant.

Another idea is a visit to the doctor or qualified mental health professional, yes at such a young age it is hard to imagine that your child may need medicine or other behavioral techniques to help with this behavior.

Finally, think about setting up an appointment with a behavioral therapist. They may have even more suggestions of how you can get your child out of this behavior. It's always tough to deal with a child who is defiant, but with firmness and always showing them you love them you will get through this time. You do not have to resort to medication if you are uncomfortable with the idea.