The children's behavior always remains unpredictable. This unpredictability sometimes makes them swing between obedience and disobedience. This variability becomes visible due to actions usually based on big concepts such as their ways of growth, identity, upbringing, or social and economic background. 

The unpredictability poses challenges for parents and teachers and an even bigger challenge for those who have taken on the responsibility to motivate children for better understanding and guide them in the right direction. In certain situations, it has been noticed how children show interest in being obedient by following rules and regulations. If they are not willing to follow set rules or norms regarding challenges, conflicts, or restrictions, they quickly show their disapproval through disobedience. 



Sometimes it is tough to identify the main cause of changing behavior and work on their attitude, but it gets tougher to make them realize how necessary it is to change their ways of taking things to attain results. It is not a big deal how the behavior of children changes. The problem becomes bigger when it keeps changing constantly. This kind of behavior in children creates a difficult phase of frustration for those who take on the challenges of discipline or proper guidance and struggle hard to improve the behavior.

Types of Obedience: 

It has been conceded that obedient children, willingly and eagerly follow those rules and instructions don't matter to them whether they have been set by their parents or by other authorities or institutions.

We all know that obedience is a positive characteristic because it shows that children not only try to cooperate but also respect the opinions of their elders.

As we adults like to be admired in the same manner children also wish to be praised so they try to draw the attention of their elders to make a better impression they keep behaving obediently.

 Disobedience

Sometimes, the unpredictable behavior of children is enough to frustrate elders, but the simple fact cannot be ignored. 

It is a normal part of their development process and they love to learn on their own. Children may tend to push limits in their stride to affirm their freedom.

It has been noticed that disobedience comes out in different ways such as talking back, defiance, or outright refusal to comply with rules.

 What Should Be Done to Establish Norms and Standards of Discipline 

Sometimes unpredictable behavior of children gets enough to throw elders in a frustrating zone but the simple fact can not be ignored it is a normal part of their developing process in which they love to learn on their own. Children may tend to take things or test their limits in their stride to affirm their freedom.


Dealing with a misbehaved child is not easy at all. It becomes most difficult for the parents who have to go through this hard time from daybreak to night. In this situation, most parents begin to focus on the root cause of behavior issues of their children, and it helps them understand things from a proper perspective. 

They put effort into disciplining their children. Elders always find being worried that children are not paying heed to whatever is told to them. In the whole process of saying and following, the simple fact of life gets missed that the children are not only listening but also observing the elders around them very minutely.

 So, as far as children are concerned, it is not only about ears; they have eyes also. It can't be ignored how good they are at imitating. Children are very good copycats. We should understand that if the parents fail to shape their children, then the undue advantage might be taken by the outsiders. Positive feelings and signs of expression help a lot in building cordial relations. It has never been easy to discipline a child; it requires a lot of effort to make ideas work on the ground. 

The outside forces may fill their minds with positive traits, or the children might be programmed with negation. It can lead the children astray. Sometimes it is well observed that if responsibility is not taken by parents in time, then this kind of meaningless programming may quickly turn their children's disobedience into delinquency.

It has been noticed that children nowadays, without any kind of discrimination based on social origin and nationality, are subject to individual risks, but are also provided with new opportunities. 'At-risk' is a term often used to describe children. 

These risks have some repercussions and may provide reasons for the individual to become an offender. It is not based on any fact but can be taken as a probability. Some benefits and some potential harm. It is observed that advantage is being taken of unfair opportunities; young people commit various offenses, consume drugs, and get violent against their peers.

 Now the question arises: Why do youngsters behave like this? In my opinion, young children are born with the tendency to take an interest in things that are against their thoughts and what they are told by others not to do.

 Hence, it is observed that they don't need to learn how to be disobedient. It is instinctive for children, and they follow it without providing any justification. This conflict between obedience and disobedience persists throughout their lives. It has been observed many times that social pressure and circumstances play a role. It also depends on the way these situations are authorized or administered and what kind of impressions these factors have established in the young minds at the beginning of understanding.

 It will continue throughout their lives. In my opinion, emotional and cognitive development seems to be related to a child’s capacity to control social behavior within the first two years of life. For example, any delay in language development may raise the level of stress in children and hinder the normal course of socialization.

It can be said that this is not the only factor, but some other causes are also there that may affect the understanding of social rules and play a big role in creating a nasty impact on early delinquency. This conflict between obedience and disobedience holds up throughout their lives. They usually ignore the fact that obedience has its worth.

 If they don’t check out this aspect of life on time, then everybody will keep exploring the signs of goodness in them, and soon it will be realized that a vacuum has been created, which can be earmarked to the hollowness of their ethics. The nature of the pure relationship between the mother and child establishes a foundation for the child’s relationships with all the other people around him, who might be his kindred or friends as well.

It can be understood in other words. Also, if the child is affectionate and imbued with confidence, the child, in the later stages of his life, gets along well with the people and shows the same upbringing in his future relations too. The unconditional support of the members of the family also creates a great impact on the behavior of a child.

 For example, for those who have gone astray due to one reason or another, the need for support from their family becomes vital because this support of the family can make a big difference in the long run. This kind of backing from the family can make the wrongdoers realize the bad consequences of their misdeeds. Sometimes this type of support paves the way for them to get back to the path of righteousness.

It is generally said that peaceful disobedience is necessary for the progress of a free society, but all the time it cannot be taken as the best explanation for progress. Most people peacefully resist for better equivalence or circumstances. But sometimes they might get violent in the tension between peaceful resistance and the enforcement of the law.

 It seems most of the time people like to protest peacefully. Yes, I do agree that occasionally protest becomes more of the only way to create a positive change, but it should be done cautiously. If it is the need of the hour that a decision should be taken from the heart to remove negativity, then don't try the head. But when positivity requires conviction to maintain harmony and peace, then never let your heart rule over your head.

If a person feels unsupported, he/she may commit a crime. In a study, it has been found that comprehensive/loving concern from the family decreases the chances of the child's involvement in misconduct. If a person wants to understand the phenomena of obedience and disobedience, it becomes crucial to understand the causes of different types of behaviors that introduce a person to the various procedures of life. In our social and cultural conditions, large-scale changes and transformations are required, and they should ensure the improvement of all the major social services directed toward child welfare.