The Truth about Attention Seeking

It all started when I was at a friend’s BBQ… yes that same one with the beef sausage kerfuffle which you can read here.

Their daughter, around 3 years old fell over, and started blubbering and telling everyone she fell. Then when adults started looking her way, she cried harder, which flagged to me what she really wanted was attention.

Ok, at this point you may be thinking ‘Woah Jo, never knew you were so savage around toddlers, she cried cause she was hurt’.

Only thing is, she’s fallen in front of me many times before, only to pick herself up and brush it off. But now with other kids around her and adults coddling them, she found a way to divert that attention back to her (and it worked!)

Why am I so certain?

Because I pulled those tricks myself, and because my toddler self and her are uncannily similar. When I was young, I craved attention and wanted the spotlight on me, but what does that actually mean about a kid?

Of course, I consulted professor reddit and found this gem of a comment:

(That situation being: ‘My kid cries for attention’)

When kids, teens, adults ‘seek attention’, what they’re really looking for is connection.

When students act out in class, talk back, dare you to give them a detention, what they really need is connection.

Instead of ignoring them, or punishing them, see this as a cry for help and treat them with love and kindness.

Jo