In today’s reader case study Help! My Child is Acting Presidential we look at what to do if your child is acting like the leader of the free world and not like the well-behaved child you raised them to be.
We recently got this reader email:
Help! I don’t know what to do with my three-year-old child. He won’t stop whining, he makes everything about him, he’s mean, and he lies to us constantly.
The other day at daycare he bragged about grabbing a daycare worker in her privates. He said he was allowed to because everyone at daycare knows who he is. He said he can go right up and kiss them if he wants and they can’t do anything about it. When we confronted him he said it was just locker room talk.
One time during a rainstorm he insisted it wasn’t raining and demanded we go outside. We begrudgingly let him because we didn’t want to infringe on his freedoms. He immediately got all wet and told us he knew it was raining the entire time. He then spent the rest of the evening telling us we would have all gotten washed away if not for him. We even showed him a video of himself saying the rain was fake news. He said our video was fake news.
Another time he didn’t get dessert because he threw his dinner on the floor. He said if we didn’t give him ice cream it would “destroy the American dream entirely.”
Is there something wrong with him? What can I do?
-Concerned Mother from Oregon
Hello, Concerned Mother from Oregon. While raising kids can be a tough job the good news is there is nothing wrong with your child. What you’re experiencing is a pretty common occurrence among children ages 0-4 and occasionally in 74-year-old men. It’s called acting presidential. Acting presidential occurs most often when children have an unmet need. This could be anything from not getting enough protein in their diet all the way to not getting enough love and affection in their formative years.
If your child is acting particularly presidential check to see if they need a nap or a good poop. Episodes of acting presidential will pop up from time to time because their brains aren’t fully developed so they don’t know how to deal with their emotions. This is totally normal, albeit hard to watch from the outside.
Occasionally acting presidential can persist into adulthood but almost always works itself out once the child becomes aware that other people exist.
If episodes persist into adulthood consider steering them toward a career in politics.
Blessings,
The Burrito Bowls.
What to do if Your Child is Acting Presidential
Wow. What a relatable reader email! I know in our lives our little bundle of joy acts presidential from time to time. Sometimes she’s gassy, other times she’s just hungry or tired.
When I see a child doing this…
I immediately picture this…
It’s important to remember this isn’t who the child is. They’re just acting out because they don’t have the emotional intelligence to deal with whatever situation is in front of them.
If your child is acting presidential go down the list of most common needs. These include a nap, some protein, and a teething toy. If none of these work, try giving your kid a hug and telling them words of affirmation.
Often times children will act out because of a deeply held insecurity in themselves. They feel unworthy of love so they lash out to those around them. It’s almost always the most insecure kids who are the biggest bullies.
I know it’s hard but don’t reward their poor behavior by giving in to their demands. Be firm but kind and always let them know that they are valuable and worthy of love.
Parenting is tough. We have to continually remind our toddler that acting like the President of the United States will not get her what she wants.
Have patience with them. They’ll grow up, eventually.
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