3 Tips to Deal With Your Child's Snarky Attitude

Parenting a child with mental illness is challenging enough. Add to that a snarky attitude and it does not bode well for anyone. So what do you do with a stinky, snarky attitude? Unfortunately, you need to deal with it.

For example, Bob's 12 now and has been increasingly responding rudely and disrespectful towards me (which upsets me to no end because I'm his mother & primary caregiver). Beyond the usual suspects for snarky attitude - physical illness, hunger or fatigue, Bob's attitude can be attributed to the onset of puberty. But, some of it is also due to his inattentiveness and impulsivity (symptoms of ADHD-combined). When on medication, Bob's mouth is less rude. Once the Concerta (12-hour release) is out of his system, there comes the 'tude. Bob has a tendency to express more negative attitude as a result. After my own Saturday dose of snark from Bob, I came up with some tips on how not to get frustrated when Bob's mouth runs away with itself.

My first step was to step back.

I gave myself some distance. Not physical distance because we were on the subway, but emotional distance. I began to write. Give yourself distance. Having a child be rude and disrespectful with words or tone of voice is very irritating. It provokes you if you allow it when you're at your wits end. Step back and disconnect for a bit.

My next step was to stop talking.

I learned this many years ago when I used to argue with my mother as a teen. Yep, I was very rude when angry. Hold your peace. Words can hurt so much. While your child uses words to hurt, you don't have to. Doing so would only extend the negative experience and be unproductive. If I felt that I just wanted to yell at Bob, better to be quiet than blow up. After all, Bob is also learning about dealing with anger from me.

My last step was to choose my words wisely.

Bob can definitely push my buttons. That's what happens when someone knows you so well - that person can get to you emotionally. Choose your words carefully. Parenting a child with mental illness is challenging because your child already faces many difficulties that can make him/her very sensitive even to constructive criticism. By choosing your words wisely, you can stop the negative attitude and help your child adopt a positive one.

Using these tips, I've been able to keep myself calm while dealing with Bob's snarky attitude. I've not always been successful, but I can say things have gotten better for us. So far. I know that Bob's attitude will rear its ugly head again, probably very soon. I also know that I may not always use my tips, but having them handy helps.

photo credit: Enokson via photopin cc