#Childbehavior

When dealing with difficult behavior from children who are not your own—such as the kids of close friends—many adults feel torn between compassion and the need to protect their own mental health. This familiar dilemma, highlighted in a recent advice column in The New York Times (nytimes.com), delves into how parents and caregivers can manage the emotional burden of spending time with other families’ children, particularly when those children’s experiences—such as divorce or emotional instability at home—manifest in unpredictable or rough behavior.

In living rooms across Thailand, a familiar scene unfolds with increasing frequency: exhausted parents finding themselves overwhelmed by visiting children whose behavior seems to clash dramatically with their own household expectations. Recent psychological research reveals that this challenge—managing difficult conduct from friends’ or relatives’ children while preserving family harmony—represents one of modern parenting’s most complex emotional negotiations, particularly in Thai society where cultural values of kreng jai and community interconnectedness create additional layers of sensitivity around setting necessary limits.

A wave of new research is challenging the conventional wisdom blaming children for misbehavior, instead placing primary responsibility squarely on parents and their upbringing strategies. According to a recent report by The Telegraph, and echoed by a range of scientific studies emerging in 2025, experts contend that a child’s behavioral problems can often be traced back to factors within the family environment, particularly parental attitudes, actions, and discipline methods. This revelation is sparking renewed debate and reflection in Thai households and educational circles, where traditional approaches have long favored strict discipline toward children who act out.