7 Things Parents Can Do to Stop Bratty Behavior — Before It's Too Late

Chances are if you're reading this, it's because you have a sinking suspicion that even if there's no way your precious angel could ever be a full-blown brat, you're worried that he or she might be exhibiting some spoiled behaviors. And even if you haven't admitted this gut feeling aloud and can't pinpoint exactly what they're doing wrong, the first step is recognizing that some things need to change. "There is a feeling that you get — I get mine in my chest, some people get it in their stomach — but you just have the sense that something isn’t right," said Glickman.

If your child has a tendency of speaking to you in an undesirable way — whether it's making demands or barking orders with little patience — stop letting them get away with it. Maybe your kid is lying on the couch and they call for something to drink; do you just stop what you're doing to get it for them because that's what "good" parents are supposed to do? No — you explain to them the expected way to ask for a favor and let them know that they are capable of asking in this way. "When you let your child speak to you in a way that you wouldn’t let your partner speak to you, that you wouldn’t let a friend speak to you, that you wouldn’t let a colleague from work, someone at the grocery store, or anyone else speak to you, that’s another sign that your kid is a brat," said Glickman.

If you kid is calling you stupid or if your child is demanding things of you without saying please, it's never OK. If your kid is taking from you without saying thank you, it needs to be stopped, even if they are filled with manners when in public. If your little one is disrespectful to you in front of other adults or in front of his or her friends, that’s more behavior that warrants a discussion and you shouldn't try to justify their actions to yourself or explain it away to others.

If your little one isn’t growing into age-appropriate behavior, don't just ignore their actions and assume it’s just a stage. "If your child bites another child once, maybe twice, that’s developmentally appropriate — but that doesn’t mean it’s OK," said Glickman. "If your child is biting, whining, or hitting, and you just keep saying to yourself ‘well, that’s what toddlers do; it’s a phase and it will pass’ or you don’t have any consequences for your child past hugging and asking if they're feeling sad inside, there’s no way of holding them accountable for their behavior." These unfavorable actions will only continue and worsen as they grow unless you establish expectations from early on.

When your beloved kiddo is making a scene at a restaurant or store and strangers are taking notice, you can't let your child get away with it just to try to smooth things over. When you ignore your child's bad behavior, they quickly learn that not only do they not have to listen to you, but they also don't have to respect their surroundings. "If you’re sitting there checking Facebook and Twitter on your phone at a restaurant while your child is running around screaming or is walking around and bothering the other patrons and you’re expecting other people to manage your child for you so that you can have a few minutes of peace, unfortunately you’re taking this adorable, precious child, and you are letting him or her turn into a brat," Glickman added.

Even if your child is angry, they need to learn that there is a right and a wrong way to handle those emotions. When you're upset, you might want to yell or bite, but you've learned alternative ways of expression and you owe it to your child to socialize them accordingly. Glickman believes that unfortunately, parents today think any behavior — even bad behavior — is just the way that their toddler is expressing themselves and therefore they can't tell them no because they don't want their kids to feel like they can't share their frustration. "Yes, of course, you should encourage your child to voice his or her frustration; you shouldn’t get your toddler or preschooler to bottle up their angry feelings inside, but there are ways for them to learn to express it without biting, without hitting, without whining," Glickman said. "Whether you like it or not, it’s up to you as a parent to teach them this skill."

Most likely, your child isn't acting bratty at all times so it's much easier to focus on their good behaviors and slightly block out the less than favorable moments. It's extremely important to see the whole picture of your child and to recognize when they are acting bratty so that they can learn from their mistakes. "We still love our kids even when we see the big picture," said Glickman. "Sometimes that makes it hard to see these parts of them, these qualities, these behaviors that are bratty, but we need to teach them not to continue engaging in them."