When Children Become Arrogant, Here's Expert's Advice To Overcome That Problem

Illustration of a child being arrogant (Unsplash/Nagy Szabi)

JAKARTA – Arrogance is an attitude of feeling higher, more valuable, and more important than other people. Generally, people with an arrogant attitude believe that their ideas, opinions, are better than others.

Well, are there children who behave like this? Explained by Rebecca Mansfield –a child development therapist, teacher, and author of parenting books- that an arrogant child will behave superiorly so that his friends are shunned. Of course, this makes parents nervous.

Mansfield continued, as reported by the Kids Activities page, Monday, November 1, most children who show arrogance are intelligent, talented, and confident children. It is important to understand that children are not born arrogant. This means that there are reasons that trigger children to be arrogant.

Confidence needs to be balanced with humility, writes Mansfield. If it does not appear arrogance and negates all the good qualities that the child has. So what are Mansfield's recommendations for parents in overcoming the arrogant attitude of their children? Here's the list.

1. Identify the source of the problem

In accompanying children's growth and development, parents need to retrospect. Try to reconsider the things that are given to children, including praise, pampering facilities, and a flood of attention.

Parents who pamper children with too much praise and attention sometimes make children arrogant. Most potentially when the child is proficient in one particular field, such as sports or academics.

It is natural for parents to be amazed at the achievements of their children. But give praise in the right size and attention at the right time so that you don't act arrogant, rude, or arrogant in front of your peers.

2. Talk to the child's teacher

If your child behaves arrogantly at home, they are more likely to exhibit the same negative behavior at school. So talk to teachers and child coaches to adequately understand the scope of the problem.

Try discussing with the teacher, make them more patient, and invite them to make improvements from arrogance.

3. Talk to the child in private

Avoid reprimanding your child directly in front of other people, even if your arrogance needs to be corrected. Every time you see your child being superior, invite them to talk about things they shouldn't be doing. Give a firm message that arrogance is unacceptable.

4. Give an example

Children learn a lot from what they find, including the way their parents build interpersonal relationships with other people. You don't always have to be right or always win when it comes to dealing with other people. But you need to highlight how to be polite, kind, and humble so that your child can imitate your positive behavior.

5. Understanding the child's condition

In many cases, explains Mansfield, children are arrogant because they feel inferior and cover up their feelings of inadequacy by bragging about their extraordinary skills in a particular area. They are often jealous of siblings or schoolmates who seem to have lots of friends and interact more comfortably.

Mansfield advises, praising children for positive behavior can help keep a child's self-esteem intact. Try to understand the condition of the child, assist him so that he is no longer arrogant, give guidance gently but firmly and lovingly.

You can also involve children in activities to help others, for example. Because this is a positive way to instill compassion while teaching him not to be too self-absorbed.