Kevin Leman - Why Your Kids Misbehave--And What to Do about It

Why Your Kids Work You

Your kids can read you like a book, and theyre master readers.

My lovely wife, Sande, our daughter Krissy, and I recently had dinner at Texas Roadhouse, a favorite steakhouse. Not too far from us was a young couple with Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie, and a cherub in one of those little wooden high chairs at the end of the table. Clearly that 13-month-old didnt want to stay in that high chair prison.

Oh , this is gonna be good , I thought.

The 13-month-old fussed and wriggled in the chair for a few minutes until she was too loud to ignore any longer. Then Dad picked up baby, put her on his lap, and offered her a spoonful of her mac and cheese.

I could predict what was going to happen next... and it did.

Baby grabbed the spoon and, with a petite shove of her right fist, sent that mac and cheese flying about a foot, barely missing landing in the middle of Grandmas filet mignon dinner plate.

Eagle-eyed Mom spotted what was going on and reached for baby. Honey, do you want this? Or do you want that? she asked, pointing to her own food.

I started chuckling.

Sande and Krissy simultaneously shot me the look. The one I know from experience means, Leemie/Dad, dont you even think about it.

So, in deference to my own family members and our cooked-just-right steak, I bit my tongue. I didnt say anything to that cute, well-meaning couple who likely thought they were doing everything right but were, in fact, doing everything wrong. They were already being controlled by a kid who was shorter than a yardstick and likely couldnt even walk yet.

Without intervention of some kindlike carrying out the practical, smart strategies Ill reveal in this bookthat same kid will become a mouthy middle-schooler. That mouthy middle-schooler will morph into an uncontrollable teenager with princess syndrome.

Yet those parents who were smiling at their firstborn Snookums had no idea they were on the way to creating a power-driven child.

You see, if youre a parent, youre also the teacher of a daily workshop for your kids, no matter how young or old they are. Its called How to Misbehave.

Give yourself some credit. Youre an awesome teacher. Youre adept at balancing trying to do things right in parenting and accepting all kinds of advice from Grandma, Dad, your sister, and even your brother, who isnt a parent yet but thinks he knows best how to handle your little Snookums.