Impulsive children need to be aware of the rules and their boundaries. They may not be skilled at intuitively understanding what is expected of them, or basing their behavior on what is being modeled for them by others. Make rules and set boundaries in partnership with the child. Choose two or three impulsive behaviors that are most important to change, and use these as guidelines. For instance, if a child has problems talking out of turn or interrupting, work on teaching her to stop and listen before speaking and to raise her hand before speaking in class.
Encourage your impulsive child or student to spend some time focusing on what non-impulsive behavior looks like. Have the child close his eyes and talk, in a calm and gentle voice. Describe an event or instance and what it would look like for the child to react non-impulsively. For instance, you might describe a family meal. Talk about everyone eating and enjoying their food, each person having a chance to discuss his or her day and the child listening politely without interrupting. Make sure to talk about the child having his chance to talk and his family listening with interest.
Sometimes children act impulsively because they do not take the time to look at all the alternatives available to them. One way to help a child with this problem to slow down and think before they act on impulse is to offer her choices. Rather than give this child a direction and leave the way it is acted on up to her, offer her two choices to choose from. For instance, rather than directing the child to do her homework, offer her the choice of doing her homework in her bedroom or in the kitchen while you make dinner. This narrows her options, and gives her a chance to slow down and think about what she wants to do.
Children who are prone to impulsive behavior may act on these impulses inappropriately more often under certain circumstances. For instance, if the child is angry, bored or anxious. Teaching these children to manage the antecedents to impulsive behavior will help them become more disciplined. Anger management techniques, for instance, give children who impulsively lash out in anger an alternative, such as deep breathing, counting through their anger or a non-violent physical outlet. Relaxation techniques, such as breathing and simple yoga principles, help anxious children take control of impulsive behavior that arises as a result of anxiety.