You’re in the supermarket when your child accidentally bumps into a display. Suddenly they’re on the floor screaming and crying. What an overreaction! This isn’t the first time it’s happened either. And good luck trying to say “no” to them. They’ll act like the world is ending!

Some children have a bit of a dramatic streak in them. This can manifest as a tendency to overreact. But don’t worry, a lot of children develop this behaviour, and we’ve got plenty of strategies and solutions to help your child shake off their overreacting behaviour!

Before we look at why your child might be overreacting, let’s explore what overreacting behaviour looks like.

What is overreacting behaviour?

These are the 5 key behaviours your child may show when they’ve developed a habit of overreacting:

Your child jumps and overreacts to loud noises.

They laugh in a manic way at small jokes.

They scream in pain when they only get a minor injury.

They cling to the wall or fall to the fall if someone brushes past them.

The child acts as if the sky is falling when they’re told “no.”

Now that we know what overreacting behaviour is, let’s look at the reasons why children might start developing these patterns.

Why does this behaviour start in the first place?

Here are the 3 main reasons why children start overreacting:

If your child has sensory issues, their reaction may be genuine.

If they know that this behaviour causes a big response from the parent, a child could be doing it for attention.

They don't realise that small bruises and bumps are not fatal.

If this sounds like something your child does, fear not! We’re now going to look at what strategies we can use to help them stop using overreacting behaviour.

What strategies can I use?

Here are the 6 best strategies you can use if your child is constantly overreacting:

Use neutral responses, despite their big reactions. If they’re doing this for attention, this will show that you’re not going to give them the response they want. The control is in your hands!

Avoid using argumentative language, for example, “I didn’t even touch you! Why are you reacting like that?!” This feeds into their desire to trigger a big response from you.

Use empathetic commentary to show the child that although you don’t agree with their actions, you’re paying attention to their needs. For example, “I can see that you thought you might get badly hurt. Even though it’s not a serious scratch, it must still be scary for you.”

Be aware that if your child has sensory issues, they might genuinely be feeling hurt or shocked. This is especially the case for loud noises and sudden movements. If that is the case, use lots of reassurance to show them that you’re paying attention and caring for their needs.

For children who have sensory needs, you can buy equipment such as ear defenders. Alternatively, make sure to warn them if a loud noise is going to happen.

Sometimes a child might have an overly developed startle reflex. This takes a long time to unlearn, so be patient!

With these strategies, your child will get over their dramatic behaviour, and retire their Oscar-winning performances!

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