Parenting Tip: Behavior Is Communication

Ever feel like your child’s behavior “comes out of nowhere”?

Maybe it’s the sudden meltdown before school.

Or the refusal to go to bed (again).

Or the screaming match over a sock that “feels wrong.”

It’s easy to get stuck thinking “They’re just being difficult.” But here’s a reframe I invite you to hold on to:

Behavior is communication. Always.

Our kids may not have the words to say, “I’m overwhelmed,” or “That change in routine made my body feel unsafe.”

So instead, they show us—through yelling, avoiding, clinging, or shutting down.

As parents, especially those raising children with trauma histories or neurodivergence, our job is to become behavior detectives. Not to excuse the behavior—but to understand what’s underneath it. That’s where change happens.

Instead of asking, “How do I stop this?”

Try, “What is my child trying to tell me?”

That shift can take you from power struggles to powerful connection.

And if you’re not sure where to start, that’s okay. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.

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