Behaviour is often the first thing we notice, but it may only be the visible part of a much bigger picture. The behaviour iceberg is a simple way of thinking about what might be happening underneath what we see.
Children communicate and respond to the world in lots of different ways.
Sometimes we might see behaviour that is loud or noticeable — perhaps shouting, arguing, crying or becoming very upset.
But behaviour doesn't always look like this.
It might be a child who becomes very quiet.
A child who withdraws or avoids something.
A child who is constantly on the go.
A child who seems unusually excited or energetic.
A child who finds it difficult to settle.
Or a child who simply seems to stop engaging.
There are lots of different behaviours we might notice, and the behaviour we see is only the starting point.
With an iceberg, we can see the part that sits above the water, but there is a much larger part underneath the surface.
Behaviour can be similar.
What we initially see is the behaviour.
There may be much more happening underneath that we can't immediately see.
And that's where the iceberg gives us a useful way to think about behaviour.
If you would like to understand more: Understanding Your Child’s Behaviour (Free Behaviour Insight Guide) - Payhip