Dr. Solomon Laktineh

Child Behavior Consultant

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

Defiance, tantrums, aggression, lying, screen battles. After 45 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 45 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 in a consultation 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 online consultation helps

Talk it through, calmly

30 unhurried minutes is enough time to actually understand what is happening, not just react to a single incident.

Specific, not generic

Advice is tailored to your child's age, temperament, and family situation. Not a script that could apply to anyone.

Both parents welcome

Behavior is much easier to shift when both adults in the home are aligned. Both parents can join the call.

A clear next step

Most calls end with one or two specific things to try this week, plus a sense of when to expect change.

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. A consultation 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 45 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. We can talk through how to use them well during a consultation.
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, book an online consultation.

Get help with your child's behavior

A 30-minute private video call with Dr. Solomon Laktineh. We work through what is happening and leave you with a clear plan.