Southern Charm Sunday: 10 Tips For Dealing With Rude Kids

Guess what?! I'm back with another round of Southern Charm Sundays. As we round out the year, I'm getting my schedule in sync a bit better which means that my posts will be more frequent. I have been dying to get Southern Charm Sundays going again but didn't want to rush them, so I've been patient- as have you. Well, they are back. If there is an etiquette topic you would like to see me cover, just email me at thepalmettoqueen at gmail dot com and I'll be happy to include it.

This particular post is one I've been wanting to write for a while but needed to really think it through, so I wouldn't offend. Here goes!

Each situation is diferent and needs to be handled with care and finesse. However, these tips should help you get through these situations.

1. Indirectly bring attention to the bad behavior. If you are at a play group, or park. Call your kids' names and say "Susie Q, that better not be you doing that rude thing." More often than not, the parent of the child misbehaving will see what their child is doing and put a stop to it.

2. Playground Etiquette: when the big kids take over the little kid playground, make your kids gett off the playground and sit down, then explain to them that this playground is made for little kids and the other for big kids because little kids can get hurt playing with big kids. Then, let the big kids know where the other bigger playground is. Most of the time, this will work. If not, just leave.

3. If you suspect the child is seeking attention, here is a wonderful way to handle it. Ignore the bad behavior and bring a lot of attention to the good behavior.

4. Bring your own child's attention to the behavior. For example, " Tbomb, that kid may be able to get away with behaving like that, but I better not catch you doing it."

5. If it is a parent/ child you do not know and they make rude comments about how someone looks, just look at them and say "when you behave like that, it will come back- one of these days, someone will point and laugh at you."

6. Speak to the children as a whole. I was in a situation after the kids' birthdays last year that was exhausting. We have woods behind our house and one of the parents stayed after the party. The child was running all over the place and misbehaving. The parent wasn't correcting, even when they were climbing on the pool ladder. I started telling the kids as a whole to stay away from the pool, stay under the carport, get away from the woods, etc (September is dangerous for snakes). This seemed to really help.

7. Sometimes it is best to do nothing. If the child is not causeing harm and it really isn't a big deal, just itnore it and talk with your children later.

8. Talk to the parent. Let them know that you don't want your child picking up that behavior, and even that it may cause their child to not make friends very well if that is the way they behave.

9. As a last resort, call the child out. Only do this if the behavior is harmful, though. Remember- never put your hands on another person's child.

10. Limit or end your children's interaction with those kids. Let the parent/ child know that if they cannot behave and not be rude, your child cannot be around them and pick up those bad behaviors.