Parenting is quite the rollercoaster, filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. As parents to children with additional needs, it’s an unfortunate truth that we can encounter a few more lows than other parents might do, particularly with regards to behaviour.

All children display behaviour which challenges us at times, it’s part of what they need to do to learn and develop! But there comes a point where some behaviour becomes too much and we struggle to know how to get a handle on it.

It can be really hard to acknowledge when you have reached this point. I know for myself as a SEND parent, I felt like a massive failure when I got to a point where I felt I couldn’t cope, where the behaviour was more than I could manage. Perhaps, you have also felt that way too?

If so, you’ll get a huge amount of support and validation from coming along to our webinar all about challenging behaviour on 21 January. Tickets are available here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/955425632787 and it will be an opportunity to hear from Sunshine experts on the best ways to manage behaviour which challenges, empowering us as parents to dig deep and understand the reasons why – because there is always a reason why!

What does challenging mean?

Behaviour can become “challenging” when it disrupts daily life, affects your child’s well-being or relationships or leads to significant stress for you or your family. For example, repeated meltdowns at mealtime, difficulty transitioning from one activity to another, or an aggressive response to frustration.

It’s always important to remember that behaviour is communication. It’s likely your child is struggling with something and can’t verbally communicate what it is and so their actions might be the only way they know to express discomfort, confusion or unmet needs. Viewing these behaviours as a message rather than a problem can shift how you approach them.

How to know if the behaviour is challenging?

It’s important to recognise that not every tantrum or moment of resistance is a sign of a deeper issue. However, it’s also important to not feel embarrassed or ashamed in identifying behaviour as challenging. It’s not a reflection on you as a parent or a sign that your child is too much. It’s just a way of identifying where you are at.

Here’s some of the things you might want to consider when trying to identify if behaviour is challenging…

Why it helps to identify challenging behaviour

Identifying challenging behaviour is not assigning blame or a label to your child but is a way of acknowledging what is happening and being able to put plans in place to address the issues.

In our webinar on 21 January, you’ll come out with loads of practical advice to help you if this is a situation you are facing. During the webinar, we’ll be covering:

If you join us live on the night, we will have an opportunity for questions to be put into the chat which is an anonymous way of sharing your own personal experiences. Everyone in attendance will be in a similar situation and knowing that you are not alone in facing these difficult moments can be really comforting. Book now to secure your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/955425632787