How Can I Understand My Child’s Behaviour? | Leith Tarling

In this episode, expert guest, Leith Tarling, discusses how to understand children’s behaviour. Leith explores how behaviour is signalling a need of support. Children can behave in certain ways because there’s an underlying unsolved problem that needs to be understood.

Leith also shares the importance of self-care, giving yourself permission to take a step back and look after yourself.

Leith is the Behaviour Support Consultant for Catholic Education Western Australia providing support for the organisation’s 150+ schools. Leith’s previous role was as a Principal Trainer for Team Teach Asia Pacific, providing training services for the Education Department of Western Australia and Disability Support providers.

Leith recommends the book Lost and Found by Dr Ross Greene.

You can find and follow Leith on LinkedIn.

Leith also shares three tips during the episode:

1. Be curious about the behaviour you’re seeing. Ask yourself the question, ‘What might be happening here?’
2. As you’re observing the behaviour, remember to ‘breathe through it.’
3. After an incident, be reflective. Ask yourself, ‘What’s the difficulty the child is facing and what’s the skill that needs to be taught to overcome it?’