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When young children misbehave, it’s not because they want to act badly; it’s because they’re having a strong feeling of some kind, and don’t yet have the skill or vocabulary to express it in words.

In that context, rather than discipline or punishment, a helpful adult will work with the child to understand the feeling and find a better way to deal with it.

Here’s an excerpt from a webcast of Hanna Perkins Therapist Deborah Paris, LISW, BCD, on the important concept of behavior as a form of communication – and the important developmental step of learning to give words to feelings.

Image courtesy of Imagerymajestic/Freedigitalphotos.net