What to Do if Your Child Clowns Around Too Much at School or at Home

Kids who goof around at school or during homework time might do things like the following: 

• Give silly answers or make everything into a joke
• Dress in a funny way, like wearing a pencil box as a hat
• Make a dramatic entrance into the classroom or move around noisily 
• Deliberately drop school supplies on the floor and make a show of picking them up
• Make faces or say words they think are funny
• Etc.

There is a positive side to this type of behaviour, as it often makes us laugh too, and it can relieve tension and help us take things a little less seriously. Unfortunately, it can also be disruptive to others, such as the child’s parents, teachers, and classmates.  

First and foremost, it is important to understand why your child is acting this way. There are many possible reasons, but here are a few common ones: 

• They feel like they need more attention. When they make jokes, other people react, and your child gets the attention they want and feels important. 
• They simply need to laugh, have some fun, or release mental or physical tension. 
• They want others to like them. Making other people laugh may help them feel accepted by their classmates and like they are part of the group.
• Kids with ADHD may also struggle with impulse control: If a funny thought pops into their head, they may not be able to stop themself from saying it. 
• They may be trying to hide the fact that they are struggling in a school subject (reading, writing, math, etc.) or dealing with emotional issues (anxiety, stress, or other negative feelings) or social issues (insecurities or bullying). They would rather make people laugh than risk embarrassment or criticism by doing or saying the wrong thing. 
• Conversely, this behaviour can also be a sign that a child is under-stimulated. This is sometimes the case for gifted children, for example. 

There is nothing wrong with occasionally making a joke. However, if your child is constantly cracking wise or takes things too far, you need to gently intervene. 

Here are some approaches you can use: 

• Ask your child why they are acting like this. If needed, you can try prompting them with questions like the following: “Do you want my attention?” “Are you having trouble with your assignment?” “Do you need to burn off some energy?” 
• Explain that there are times when we can be silly and let off steam and times when we need to be more disciplined. For example, when your child’s teacher is giving a lesson or explaining a concept, it is important to pay attention. However, your child can make all the jokes they want during recess or their free period.
• Explain to your child that their actions have consequences for themself and for others. For instance, they may cause hurt feelings, interfere with other students’ learning, create frustration for their parents or teacher, or prevent your child from focusing in class. You can also remind them of why school is important.
• Help your child develop their sense of empathy and learn to recognize non-verbal cues: Are the people around them amused or annoyed? How can they tell? 
• Have your child help you come up with a non-verbal signal you can use to let them know when they are taking things too far. This will help them improve their impulse control. 
• Reinforce their positive behaviours. Disruptive behaviour often continues because the child enjoys the attention they get from it. So, it is a good idea to encourage and praise them when they are acting appropriately. This will help them learn when it is ok to goof around and when it is not. 
• Talk to your child’s teacher about what you are experiencing and the approaches you are using. This can be a great opportunity to share observations and strategies. 

Keep in mind that your child is not trying to annoy you with this type of  behaviour—rather, they are trying to express themself. As an adult, it is often best to respond by laughing at your child’s antics instead of getting angry and scolding them.  

If you are consistently losing your cool during homework time, it may be best to have someone else take over homework duty for a while. That could be another family member, a homework help service at school, or a tutor. 

If your child clowns around a lot, that probably means they are very creative, have a great sense of humour, and know how to find the fun in everything they do. So, why not take advantage of these traits? 

Here are a few ways to liven up homework and lesson review time: 

• Incorporate play into study sessions with the educational games available on the Alloprof website, or use our printable tools, like Mission Spelling with Flo, the Exquisite Corpse Word Game, and the Wheel of Sentence Types, to stimulate your child’s creativity. 
• Create a homework routine that sets aside time for your child to let off steam. For example, they could take the first 2 minutes of every session to joke around before starting their assignment. 
• Challenge your child to finish an exercise before time runs out on the Motivational Timer.
• Encourage your child to make up songs about what they are learning. Not only is this a great mnemonic technique—it is also a lot of fun! 
• Make up funny stories together to go along with math problems or to practise vocabulary words.
• Do fun educational activities together. 

Your child’s creativity can be put to good use outside of an academic context, too: 

• Encourage them to create in their spare time. They could stage their own comedy or clown show, write a play or a story, or make up a game. 
• Channel their talent into projects at home. For example, your child could draw a caricature or write a roast as a birthday present for a friend or family member. 
• Try to satisfy their need for attention by enrolling them in dance, drama, improv, or circus arts classes.