One of the main reasons children misbehave is to get their parents' attention. The kind of attention they usually get is negative attention, in the form of anger and disapproval. But to a child this is better than no attention at all. This is why I'll remind you over and over to comment on the things your children do well, or the behaviors you want to see, and to spend time hanging out with your kids. This way they are less likely to feel they have to act out to get noticed. Keep in mind as you discipline your children that a second reason they misbehave is that your kids do not have as developed a conscience as you do. It is your job to guide them until they develop one of their own.
