My 6 year old is so bossy, how do I help him change his behaviour?

Question

telling kids what to do
Policing the playground
making faces and gestures
not making friends

Answer 1

Not making friends? Well that's going to be the cure for this whole thing ya know. He's gonna come home one day saying "Mom, nobody likes me..I don't have any friends anymore" and you're gonna go "Well, that's because you boss them around..maybe you should stop telling people what to do if you want them to like you"


If he wants friends, he'll realize that people don't like to be told what to do and he'll be nicer.

Answer 2

I have a 5 yo that I am going head to head with right now and I have found that putting him in his room is a great punishment. How this works is that he is escorted to his bedroom, the gate is put up in the doorway (because he doesn't stay in his room. I turn the baby monitor on in case he needs me.) and then I have a timer that I put a couple of feet away from the door. I put 10 mins on the timer and if he is good in his room he can leave when the timer goes off. If not I add another 5 or 10 mins to the timer, depending on what he is doing to merit more time. When I first tried this my son was in his room almost an hour, but he eventually got the picture and his behavior has improved. Instead of threatening to spank him, as I would have before, I just threaten to put him in his room and his behavior improves. It's a great alternative to spanking and it seems to work. It gives them a bit of control in their punishment.

Answer 3

You are the parent and you are the one he listens to. Be firm and stern. Tell him immediately after the offending behavior that it is NOT acceptable. Get down to his level and look him right in the eye like you really mean it and then take him aside/to time out area and let him stay there for a few minutes. If he gets out of the designated area, tell him that you'll take away his favorite toy for 2 days or can't go to so and so's house or party. Once you set the tone, follow thru and don't look back.

Answer 4

I wonder why he feels that this is his responsibility? Is he mimicking behaviour he is seeing in others?

Interesting...you've got some good responses here from other parents. Don't listen to the spanking ones though. That's only for extreme behaviour. I don't think he's done anything that extreme such as putting himself or others in immediate danger.

Answer 5

i imagine it is the age, I actually have a son who merely grew to grow to be 7, and that i'm dealing with the same ingredient with him. He thinks he's merely way too cool for his dad and that i already!! even as he demands issues from us, like if he needs something to drink, he will say "mom, get me a drink" I reported one time in an rather agency voice "Excuse me?! i recognize you're literally not talking to me like that, proper?!" And he reported, "i'm sorry, mommy, will you please get me something to drink?" All i visit suggestion is be very agency and stick such as your guns, and want this area passes quickly, I constructive wish so too! Lol. i have self assurance that's an age also the position they prefer an rather good type of constructive reinforcement, we actually have a relatives action picture evening each Friday, and if he's undesirable or disrespectful, we do not do it. discover issues that she truly enjoys and take those privileges away even as she is disrespectful. Idk if you're a Christian relatives or no longer.. (each individual has their personal beliefs) yet we are, and he is going to a Cathoic college now and that i have been making use of.. "How do you imagine it makes Jesus sense once you be recommend and disrespectful to others?" That one looks to artwork the suited! :-) good luck!

Answer 6

Sit down with him for a talk. Tell him that it's not his roll to tell everyone what they can and cannot do. Tell him that sometimes it's better to let people make mistakes, instead of telling them exactly what they need to do all the time. People will break the rules, and it's up to the supervisor to monitor that, not him.

Answer 7

Most kids his age have an inferiority or superiority complex. Wouldn't hurt to deflate his ego in this case.

Answer 8

Well..he has to learn he is not the boss...or he will be a lonely kid before too long...

Punishment, time outs would help when you catch him.

Answer 9

I THINK YOU SHOULD TALK TO HIM LIKE A GROWN UP. TO HIS EXTENT OF UNDERSTANDING OF COURSE. TELL HIM WHY HE SHOULDN'T BOSS PEOPLE AROUND, CAUSE AND EFFECT. DON'T SPANK HIM LIKE SOME OTHER PEOPLE SAY. THATS JUST GOING TO TEACH HIM TO START WALKING AROUND HITTING PEOPLE. JUST TELL HIM HOW IT IS AND HOW IT WILL BE IF HE KEEPS IT UP. AND KEEP AT IT . THIS IS SOMETHING HE MIGHT NEED TO FIGURE OUT ON HIS OWN.

Answer 10

Watch Supper Nanny. She's frickin awesome, and her techniques WORK.