CLEVELAND — One of the biggest requests we get in from Mom Squad viewers: "How can I handle disrespectful behavior from my kids?"
It comes in all forms, from talking back to selective listening, and of course, eye rolling.
But in this week's episode, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Kim Bell with the Hanna Perkins Center for Childhood Development, helps us understand the meaning behind these behaviors, like the eye roll.
“Truth be told, don't take those too seriously, because here's what they are. It is actually an attempt to not act out or say what you're thinking,” says Bell.
“Think about a business meeting that you've been in, think about any kind of social situation where you saw something. You didn't just go, ‘Oh my god what you did was ridiculous,' you kind of just go, ‘Ugh’. And you just kind of keep it in,” said Bell.
If you notice more attitude coming from daughters than sons, there’s a reason behind that, too.
“Girls tend to be more internalizing, boys tend to be more externalizing, so young girls tend to roll their eyes more than boys,” Bell said.
Dr. Bell also says, if your kid is an eye roller, chances are they've learned it from you. The same goes with how you and your family handle conflicts.
To see more about what Dr. Bell says about these behaviors and how you should be responding to your kids-- you can catch the entire episode, streaming on WKYC Plus and on our WKYC YouTube page.
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