Thoughtful Thursday: So when you see this.. do you automatically label the child?

If you see a child throw something out of anger... what comes into your mind?

When you see a child screaming bloody murder when seeing an ice cream truck and they were told no.. what do you think?

When you pass a child shouting no at their parents with an unhappy first..what are your thoughts?

My now 5 year old would kick, spit, bite, hit... amongst others. 

When he was younger, he wasn't talking. He didn't start saying audible words until he was nearly 3 and a half. So because of his inability to communicate verbally.. he would express physically.

But I can only wonder what people were internally labelling my child... and I know I shouldn't care but you can't help but run it by your mind sometimes.

As time went by.. his speech began to improve.. and he started to be able to say how he feels slowly but surely.. so the physical aspect of expressing also went down. So instead of kicking and spitting, he will shout 'No, no like it!' or 'No, Don't want it!', but instead of doing the other stuff, that is what he will say and cry; and honestly that is a great improvement.

But encountering my child in the heat of the moment of kicking ,spitting and biting.. you wouldn't think "Oh that is his way of communicating his upset.."... would you?

I'm learning these kinds of behaviours are all communication... and what should be thought is what is this child trying to communicate and why?

But it's an honest learning curve.