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Does giving attention to an attention-seeker work?

Date: August 7th, 2013
By: Polly Bath

Watch this video [1:22] to see how we sometimes reinforce bad behavior by our discipline choices.

If the function of a child’s behavior is to get attention and you give them that attention, they’re just going to up the ante. You might think you’re giving them negative reinforcement, but I’m going to tell you, hands down, they’re going to up the ante.

Why? Because you’re giving them all your attention, and that’s what they want!

That’s risky when you have a child for whom the function on the disruption is to gain attention.
 
Click on my video above to see how I successfully respond to attention-seekers.