Dr. Solomon Laktineh

Child Behavior Consultant

When your child's behavior feels out of your hands.

Defiance, tantrums, aggression, lying, screen battles. After 40 years in pediatrics, I can help you tell phase from pattern, understand what is driving the behavior, and respond in ways that actually help.

Almost every parent eventually faces a stretch of weeks or months where their child's behavior feels confusing, exhausting, or genuinely worrying. The good news, after 40 years of pediatric practice, is that most behavior that worries parents is responding to something. Once we identify what, the path forward becomes much clearer.

Common behaviors parents bring to me

  • Defiance and refusing to follow even simple instructions
  • Tantrums that feel out of proportion to the trigger
  • Hitting, biting, or other aggression toward siblings, peers, or parents
  • Lying, even about small things or things easily caught
  • Refusing to go to school or sudden anxiety about leaving home
  • Screen battles and meltdowns when devices come away
  • Withdrawal, sadness, or loss of interest in things they used to enjoy
  • Sleep regressions in children who were previously sleeping well

Why start with a pediatrician

Behavior is rarely just behavior. It often sits on top of sleep, nutrition, sensory overload, undiagnosed anxiety, learning differences, big family transitions, or developmental stages that are normal but intense. A pediatrician trained for decades to see whole children, not just behaviors in isolation, is in a strong position to help you sort what you are seeing before you spend months on the wrong intervention.

Phase or pattern?

One of the most useful distinctions I help parents make is whether what they are seeing is a phase, which will resolve with steady, calm parenting, or a pattern, which deserves a more deliberate response. Both are common. Both are workable. Treating a phase like a pattern can make it worse. Treating a pattern like a phase can let it grow.

How Dr. Solomon helps

Free Script Pack

Word-for-word scripts for the 5 hardest behavior moments. A concrete tool you can use tonight, not generic advice.

YouTube videos by topic

Hundreds of short, practical videos organized by topic. Defiance, tantrums, aggression, lying, screens. Search what you are dealing with.

The book

Raising Emotionally Intelligent Children covers behavior at every age with the full framework. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

Contact for specific questions

For a direct question about your child's specific situation, use the contact form. Media, collaboration, and speaking inquiries are welcome too.

Frequently asked

When should I start to worry about my child's behavior?
When the behavior is persistent, getting worse over time, interfering with friendships or learning, or putting your child or others at risk. Your pediatrician is a good way to get a calm second opinion before things escalate.
What ages does defiance usually peak?
There are two classic peaks: the toddler years, often 18 months to 3 years, and early adolescence, roughly 11 to 14. Both are developmentally normal and very workable with the right approach.
What about spanking?
After 40 years in pediatrics, the research and the lived experience of thousands of families are clear. Spanking does not improve long-term behavior and tends to increase aggression and damage trust. There are far more effective ways to set firm limits.
Do time-outs work?
They can, but only when used as a calm reset, not as a punishment, and when paired with reconnecting afterward. The book walks through how to use them well.
What about reward charts?
Useful for short-term targeted behaviors in younger children. They are not a long-term parenting strategy. The goal is internal motivation, not collecting stickers.

Helpful next reads: discipline without punishment and how to handle toddler tantrums. To talk specifically about your child, get the free Script Pack.

Get help with your child's behavior

Start with the free Script Pack for immediate, practical tools. Then go deeper with the YouTube channel and the book.