What does it mean when your child acts out?

Parents often visit us feeling disheartened by their child’s behaviour. They feel stuck in a cycle, with no idea how to break it. At Pocket, we offer family consultations to help families in this situation. We like to bring a different perspective to stop behaviours being played out time and time again.

Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.

Wayne Dyer

But changing your perspective is easier said than done right?

To change behaviour, we need to understand the function of it and explore alternative ways in which we can meet it’s function. We love to use the iceberg model to help us do this.

Above the water is the visible part of the iceberg which represents the behaviour that we can see. If we only pay attention to this part, the behaviour will continue because we are responding with little understanding of of what is causing it. To understand the behaviour, we have to look beneath the water. What factors drive this behaviour and are there certain conditions which maintain it?

If you would like more detail about the iceberg model and it’s use in bringing perspective and decoding difficult behaviours, check out our online programme Crack the Code. Follow us on Instagram for more general hints and tips on this topic too.

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5/5

"Dr Andrea Shortland’s session for MediaCom on a children’s mental health was incredibly informative"

“Dr Andrea Shortland’s session for MediaCom on a children’s mental health was incredibly informative. During the second period of lockdown and home-schooling; parents and children found themselves again in a period of upheaval and transition. Many parents and carers were extremely worried about their children’s mental health and their own ability to be present and engaged whilst also playing the role of teacher and care giver. Dr Shortland gave attendees an insight into how many parents were feeling; tips on supporting children and helping them cope whilst studying from home and also managing their mental health. She also helped us realise the importance of taking care of ourselves in order to effectively support our children. It was such a useful session that we realise it was also pertinent for not only children’s mental health but also adults! We will be holding another session with Dr Andrea and MediaCom soon.”

Avelon Thompson, MediaCom (following a parenting workshop)