Although my kids have pretty much outgrown the attention-seeking outbursts by now, they definitely used to act up when they were younger. If our lives were particularly stressed or I was busy, if I got on the phone or dinner was late, or I was working on something that I just couldn’t put off and they wanted my attention—they might pick a fight with each other, start a fuss, complain of a headache, or other sorts of behaviors that were designed to get them the attention the were craving.
I think as single parents, it helps if we understand what is going on when our children act up for attention. It can happen when we are already feeling stressed and overextended and we might not realize that they are not intentionally trying to be horrible, but they are intentionally trying to get us to pay attention to them. As the parent, we get to choose how we respond and if we understand what is motivating them, we might choose to respond with compassion and understanding instead of aggravation.
Now, I know that I am not a saint and there have been plenty of times where even though I knew that my kids just wanted some of my love and attention, I just HAD to get something done or tend to something or someone else before I could give them the attention they were craving. I am definitely not perfect. I have to confess there were times when I was just too sick or exhausted to have much patience. But, if we learn how to identify when our kids are acting up because they want and need our attention (and when they are acting out for other reasons) we can be more available to them and more sensitive as parents.
Also: Do Children of Single Parents Really Act Out More?
Expressing Oneself Means Less Acting Out