If the child (children) has psychological problems, then the reasons should be sought in the family. Deviations in the behavior of children are often a sign of family turmoil and problems.
What kind of behavior of children can be considered the norm, and what signs should alert parents? In many ways, problems of a psychological nature depend on the age of the child and the characteristics of his development.
The article will discuss the problems of psychological health in children, about how parents behave with a child and when to sound the alarm.
Causes of problems in a child
Often, psychological problems in a child (children) arise in the absence of a warm, close, and trusting relationship with him. Children also become “difficult” if their parents demand too much from them: success in school, drawing, dancing, and music. Or if the parents react too violently to the pranks of the baby, severely punish him. It should be noted that all families face difficulties in education.
Mistakes made by parents in their upbringing can later have a strong impact on human life. And it is not always possible to completely eliminate them.
Types of psychological problems
Often the child’s abnormal behavior simply corresponds to a certain age and period of his development. That is why these difficulties need to be treated more calmly. But if they do not pass for a long time or increase, parents need to take action. The most common psychological problems in children (the child) that many parents face:
- Aggressiveness - it can manifest itself in different ways. The child can become rude, often go on a scream, fight with peers. Parents can not ignore the too aggressive manifestation of emotions in the baby. Sometimes this behavior is a protest against the prohibitions and rules adopted in the family and society. Aggressive children are very often restless and tense. It is difficult for them to communicate with peers, they are not able to find a compromise. You need to speak frankly with the child and explain the consequences of this behavior.
- Attacks of anger - often occur in very young children. They get angry over some little thing, they get hysterical, they fall to the floor. With this behavior of the child, parents need to be calm, ignore their behavior, and it is best to leave him alone for a while.
- Lying and theft - very often parents panic when they discover that the child is lying or stealing. It is difficult for them to understand why he is doing this, they are afraid that he will become a criminal. But behind such actions often lies a desire to attract attention. In this case, the child is satisfied with the attention of parents in the form of punishment, and in the form of affection. In addition, sometimes lying or theft is a test of the limits of what is permitted. That is, this is a kind of experiment that a child conducts to find out the boundaries of what is allowed.
- Incontinence of urine or feces. Most children begin to completely control the work of the intestines and bladder by about 4 years. But if by this period the child does not ask for a pot, this is a sign of rejection. In this case, urinary incontinence is more common than feces. Incontinence is associated with the inability to control their physiological processes. First of all, you need to find out whether this is due to anatomical problems or pathologies. If not, then we can talk about the psychological factor. As a rule, this is a lack of love, excessive severity of parents, lack of understanding.
- Hyperactivity. Most often, this problem is typical for boys. Such children are inattentive, they do not listen to the teacher in the classroom, they are often and easily distracted, they never complete what they started. They are impulsive, do not know how to sit still. This behavior of the child is reflected in both social, mental, emotional, and mental development. The causes of this psychological problem of children are not fully understood. For a long time, hyperactivity was associated with poor parenting, irritability, and a dysfunctional situation in the family. Some scientists attribute hyperactivity to the socio-psychological problems of children. However, as a result of research, it was proved that this psychological problem is caused by biological factors and a dysfunctional environment. To correct this problem, medications are prescribed, in severe cases, more in-depth treatment is performed.
- Dietary problems are manifested in a lack of appetite. Refusal of food is a way to attract attention, sometimes it is associated with an unfavorable situation at the table if the child is constantly raised or criticized at this moment. If he lacks appetite and is forced to eat, then he may have an aversion to food, in the most advanced case, anorexia may develop.
The other side of the nutritional problem is when food turns into the only activity that brings pleasure. In this case, the child is gaining excess weight, it is difficult for him to control the process of eating food, he eats constantly and everywhere.
- Communication difficulties. Some children love solitude, they have absolutely no friends. As a rule, such children are unsure of themselves. If a child has not been in contact with peers for a long time, he needs psychological help. Children with psychological problems are often prone to depression.
- Physical ailments. There are children who constantly complain of pain, while doctors say that they are absolutely healthy. In this case, the causes of frequent ailments are psychological. In a family where someone is seriously ill, children appropriate some symptoms of a relative's illness. In this case, the child needs to be reassured and explained that if someone is sick, this does not mean that he will get sick. Sometimes hypochondriacal children grow up with parents who are too suspicious, they respond very brightly to even the slightest pain, and their parents begin to surround them with excessive care and guardianship.
- Escape from home is a serious psychological problem that indicates a lack of warm relationships and understanding in the family. Adults should analyze the situation and think about why the escape occurs. After the child has returned, there is no need to punish him; it is better to surround him with care and affection and speak frankly about what worries him.
Psychological problems from birth to one year
In this period of development of the child, the following problems are very frequent: anxiety, excessive excitability, strong attachment to mother.
At this time, most behavioral symptoms are related to the child’s temperament. Therefore, excitability, anxiety, emotionality are considered a variant of the norm. But if the parents begin to behave incorrectly, for example, ignore crying, excommunicate the child, show aggression, then the baby may develop real disorders.
Parents should be alerted if the baby does not show interest in the objects surrounding him, if his development is slowed down, if he is not balanced, does not calm down even in his mother’s arms.
How to behave with a child: more often touch the baby, hug and kiss him, satisfy his emotional needs.
Problems in children from year to 4 years
During this period, common psychological problems in children are greed, aggressiveness, fears, unwillingness to contact with other children. Normally, all these signs are found in all children.
What should alert parents: if these signs noticeably inhibit the development and social adaptation of the child, if the child does not respond to parents, his circle of interests is greatly narrowed (for example, he is only interested in cartoons).
Deviations from the norm of the psychological development of children are associated with an unfavorable situation in the family and improper upbringing. Aggression or greed may be due to the fact that the child is given little attention in the family. Anxiety and shyness are associated with aggressive behavior of parents.
How to behave with a child: it is necessary to analyze the situation and relationships in the family, if necessary, you should visit a child psychologist.
From 4 to 7 years
The most common psychological deviations of this period of children's life are lies, painful shyness, excessive self-confidence, lack of interest in anything, attachment to cartoons (films, computers), and frequent manifestations of harmfulness and stubbornness.
This is normal - if the psychological problems of preschool children are associated with the formation of personality and character.
Parents should be worried: the child’s distance from mom and dad, too painful shyness and shyness, deliberate wrecking, aggressiveness and cruelty.
How to behave with a child: treat him with love and respect. Be attentive to his communication with peers.
Psychological problems in children (child) of school age
When a child goes to school, some problems are replaced by others. Those problems that parents did not pay attention to, strengthened and worsened with age. Therefore, any difficulties must be taken seriously and try to overcome them. The most common psychological problems of children at school, which should be noticed in time and deal with them:
- Fear of school, absenteeism - most often manifests itself in younger students, when the child adapts to school. Often children cannot get used to the new environment, the team. Reluctance to go to school can be caused by a fear of some subject, teacher, or peers. Sometimes a child cannot complete their homework and is afraid to get a bad grade. To avoid fear of the school, you should prepare a child for it in advance. If the problem still arises, you need to talk with him, find out what he is afraid of. But do not be too strict and demanding, you should establish contact with the child.
- Bullying peers. Unfortunately, this is a very urgent problem of modern schoolchildren. When a child is constantly humiliated, mocked at him, he develops depression, he becomes vulnerable, withdrawn, or shows flashes of aggression and rage. At the same time, parents often do not know what is happening and attribute the oddities of behavior to adolescent difficulties. If a child has such a problem, then this may be due to low self-esteem or lack of friends. It is necessary to help him become more confident in himself, always talk with him on an equal footing, involve him in solving family problems, and always listen to his opinion. More often go to school, to warn teachers about the existing problem - it must be solved together. If necessary, you need to contact a child psychologist. If all else fails, you need to change the school. In this case, this is not an escape from the problem, it is a solution to it in a quick way. The child will have a chance to change himself and his attitude to himself in the new team.
- Poor teacher attitude. Sometimes they choose a student to constantly recoup. You can’t put up with a situation where at the expense of the child, adults solve their own psycho-emotional problems. This can trigger the development of serious psychological trauma. The most effective way to solve the problem is to talk with the teacher and find out the reason for this attitude to the child. If nothing has changed after the conversation, you should transfer the teenager to another school.
How to prevent the emergence of psychological problems: parenting
To prevent the occurrence of psychological problems in children, it is necessary to talk with the child about everything that worries him, constantly offer their help and protection. The sooner the problem is identified, the easier it is to solve it and prevent the development of a serious complex.
You should carefully observe how the child communicates with his peers. His communication and behavior can tell a lot about the existence of a problem and its nature. For example, if a child wants to earn the favor of his peers with all his might, this indicates a lack of love, warmth and attention to him.
In addition, you should always remember that each child is individual, has his own character traits, emotional traits that should be taken into account in the process of education. It is necessary to respect him, to love as he is, with all the shortcomings and advantages.
Are punishments necessary?
It is difficult to unequivocally state that children cannot be punished. But punishments should not turn into beating, a constant demonstration of dislike or anger. Punishment must be correct, fair, appropriate. In addition, education and punishment should be consistent. That is, one cannot be punished for something that was not paid attention to at another time.
Instead of a conclusion
Mental disorder is associated with a lack of attention, severe penalties, a constant feeling of fear of parents; it manifests itself at a time when the child begins to consciously perceive the whole environment. During puberty, psychological problems of children are associated with the desire for independence, with communication with adults.