As parents, we find it very difficult to remember
what our child has done from one day to the next, so we need to carry out a
Behavior Observation Diagnosis!

A behavior observation makes parenting easier! In order to understand why your child is misbehaving you must be clear on what behavior you find unacceptable. You need to see what has caused it and how it has escalated. You need to have an idea of how often a day/week the behavior occurs.

Start a simple journal of behavior and try to write down what has happened each time an incident occurs as soon as you are able. Include how you dealt with each situation.

Identify one behavior that you would like to change in your child. Be as specific as you can e.g. refuses to do as she / he is told, fighting, demanding, whining, shouting, lying, etc. Write this behavior down. Concentrate on this particular behavior. When does it occur, how often? Write down what caused it (behavior trigger) and what happened afterwards (the result).

After a week, try to see if there is any pattern to the behavior. When is it occurring (particular time, situations)? Who is it occurring with? What are the reasons? What are the consequences?

Once you have a clear picture, you are ready to change the behavior pattern by changing the triggers and consequences that you have observed.