Tips for Handling Frustration and Challenging Behaviors from Sesame Street

Frustration is one of the most common causes of challenging behaviors. Young children learn new skills every day, an exciting and challenging process that can also trigger feelings of frustration. During these moments of frustration, we want to encourage little ones to persist and stay patient, even when learning just seems to take too long! 

Sesame Street offers tips for supporting young learners by helping them persist in the face of adversity and manage their feelings of frustration. Some of the recommendations from Sesame Street include… 

• Help children find a way to calm down (such as by taking belly breaths, counting to 10, or taking a break). After the child has had a chance to cool off, encourage them to try again. 
• Break the frustrating task into lots of little steps. Help the child to master one step before moving on to the next. Throughout the process, remind them of the progress they’ve already made.
• Explain that every failure is an opportunity to learn—and to get closer to the final goal.

These tips are helpful for educators and care providers to use in their programs, or to pass on to parents who might have questions about supporting their little ones when they get frustrated. 

Find the full Sesame Street article here.