They get more attention with negativity. Kids sometimes get more attention for doing bad than for doing good. I’m an only child, so sometimes I have a hard time being patient with little kids when they act annoying. Since we live on a lake, I see my younger cousins sometimes go too fast on their ATVs or snowmobiles, or say rude things to get a reaction. So getting my parents’ attention is pretty easy. I also know a couple of little girls who whine a lot at family events. Sometimes I think they just got bored because they are the youngest ones there, and the events are mostly for older kids and adults.

I think one reason kids act out is that they want their parents to pay attention to them or take them home. Since I am the oldest cousin on one side of my family, I notice this kind of behavior a lot. It makes me think kids sometimes learn that bad behavior gets them attention faster than good behavior. I think parents are more at fault because they are responsible for teaching their kids how to behave and making sure they get attention in good ways. On the other hand, some kids, like me, can entertain themselves. But I really depend on how my parents teach me to behave.

As an only child, I spent a lot of time playing by myself or with my toys. Since I didn’t have to share my toys, I made up stories and found ways to entertain myself. My parents did lots of things with me, but I also learned to play independently and do things on my own without needing a parent with me all the time.