Kids' behaviour: 10 things to forgive them for (and why)

Do you ever shake your head at your kid's less-than-perfect behaviour? Joseph Shrand, a child psychiatrist and instructor at Harvard Medical School, explains that the two distinct parts of a still-developing human brain are mismatched: “Children’s limbic brain, responsible for impulses, emotions and pleasure, is more mature than their prefrontal cortex, responsible for thinking, making decisions and anticipating consequences.” In other words, poor behaviour isn't necessarily a result of poor thinking. Kids aren’t thinking (at least not the way adults can).

Here are 10 behaviours that baffle us — and the science behind them.

A version of this article appeared in our September 2012 issue with the headline "10 things to forgive your kids for (and why)," pp. 66-70.