Negative behaviors get our attention faster and more often than positive behaviors. When a child is behaving appropriately we rarely point it out. We're afraid we might jinx it. I always encourage parents to "catch" their child being good and comment on it.
When it comes to attention seeking behaviors it's important to pick your battles. Do you find yourself commenting on every negative behavior even little annoyances? Try ignoring the small ones and only call attention to the big ones.
Are you constantly telling your child what you don't want them to do? "Don't run in the house," "Don't stand on the chair," "Stop yelling!" Telling your child what you want them to do can have a much different result. "Walk in the house," "Sit on the chair," "Use your inside voice."
Take a close look at yourself. Has your child learned any of these negative behaviors from you? If you yell your child will probably yell. Model for your child what you want them to do. They're always watching you and they often repeat what they see you doing.
Kids want and need their parent's attention. If you don't give them attention for positive behaviors they quickly learn to ramp up the negative behaviors to get your attention.
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