Kiddipedia
All children have their bad days.This can look like the usual tantrums, tears, and moments of pushing boundaries that most of us as parents have experienced at one time or another. However, there comes a time when their behaviour or emotions seem to cross the boundaries and require more consideration than others.
Seeking additional help for your children does not mean diagnosing your children nor assuming that there is anything wrong with them. On the contrary, it simply entails acknowledging that some children require assistance with coping in a complicated world.
Messages Sent through Behaviours
Everything about a behaviour can always be explained because in the event of any behaviour of a child that is deemed inappropriate, it means that there is something wrong or missing in his life. The child who behaves in a manner that is aggressive or withdraws from people or attaches himself because he fears does not do so to create any problems. It is more often than not the result of the stress that the child cannot handle.
The hardest part for parents in such situations is understanding the messages from their children in order to provide them with adequate care at the earliest possible moment. It will not only help improve behaviour, but boost the child’s self-confidence and relationships as well.
How Prevalent Are These Challenges?
These kinds of emotional and behavioural challenges are actually more common than many of us realise, with plenty of parents quietly navigating similar experiences with their children.. A study conducted in Australia and reported by Emerging Minds indicated that roughly 1 out of 6 toddlers and preschool-age children exhibited signs of social, emotional, and behavioural problems; moreover, nearly half of these children’s families received absolutely no professional assistance for addressing these issues. In another study that drew on the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, more than 13% of children aged four to eleven years old were diagnosed with one or more mental health disorders within a 12-month period.
Signs That May Indicate a Need for Extra Support
Difficulty Regulating Emotions
It’s normal for all children to have intense emotions. But when their emotions are overwhelming to the extent that they cannot calm down, engage again or get back to themselves, then it may indicate that they require assistance developing their emotion regulation.
The Raising Children Network notes that a child’s ability to understand and manage emotions develops gradually over time and that younger children in particular will need support to recognise and name what they’re feeling before they can begin managing it independently. A child who escalates quickly over minor frustrations, has prolonged meltdowns well beyond the toddler years, or swings between intense emotional states without much middle ground may be struggling to manage their internal experience. This isn’t a character flaw. It often reflects an underdeveloped set of coping strategies rather than any deliberate misbehaviour.
Persistent Aggression or Self-Injury
Physically aggressive behaviour towards others, such as hitting, biting, or even object throwing, can be quite common among very young kids. But if the behaviour persists beyond the preschool years, becomes more frequent, or escalates rather than becomes less serious, one should think about investigating the problem.
In the same way, a child who engages in self-harming behaviour while upset, such as banging his/her head or scratching and biting his/her own hands, is definitely giving signs that he/she needs new coping mechanisms.
Withdrawal and Avoidance of Social Situations
Some kids can be more reserved by nature. This is completely fine. But a child who does not want to engage in interactions with other children or who has problems joining in activities in groups or who retreats during moments of anxiety or being overwhelmed may simply find social environments more difficult than other children.
According to Raising Children Network, self-regulation begins early in infancy, progresses through toddler and preschool years, and extends into adulthood. The development of such an essential skill depends greatly on the warm and responsive interactions between parents and infants. When the development of this vital skill suffers, social avoidance may very well become one of the first things to show its face. It may have detrimental consequences for the child’s socialisation and future interpersonal skills.
Challenges with Transitions and Changing Routines
Most children tend to feel more settled when they know what to expect day to day. But for some kids, even small changes to their usual routine can feel overwhelming and hard to manage. A child who feels highly stressed upon finishing an activity, doesn’t want to transition to another task, and struggles greatly with dealing with unexpected situations might be dealing with anxiety or sensory issues that need to be recognised and addressed appropriately.
This behaviour could potentially be interpreted as rebellious or obstinate. What’s actually going on, however, is quite the opposite.
Difficulty at School or in Social Settings
Struggling with academic performance isn’t always a result of a learning disability. At times, a student may be exhibiting emotional or behavioural problems that make it difficult for them to take part in classroom activity due to the inability to focus, concentrate, or understand instructions.
As stated by research published in the National Library of Medicine, such difficulties can be an early indicator of possible mental health problems that affect many young people today. Unfortunately, most of these young people lack proper recognition and assistance, especially those attending regular schooling. One example of such difficulties might be a student displaying a high level of disorganisation and inattention due to their heightened level of anxiety. At other times, the student might have difficulties in following social cues, leading to constant conflicts in class or in group activities.
Immediate Actions that Parents Can Take
Being aware of these warning signs is merely the first step towards addressing the problem. The second step should include taking action without waiting for it to worsen.
It makes sense, and it is completely rational for parents to raise their concerns about their child to his or her teachers at school, general practitioners or a paediatrician. Those experts in children’s affairs will definitely help in determining whether the concern raised by the parent is actually a developmental issue or something serious that needs further investigation.
There are times when an intervention program might work as a remedy to improve the quality of life of the child and his/her family. One of the programs worth trying out here would be the positive behaviour support plan, which tries to identify why such behaviour happens and then come up with positive ways of improving the child’s behaviour.
Trust Your Instincts and Then Find the Assistance That You Need
Quite often, it is the parents themselves who first sense that there may be something wrong, even though they may not know exactly what. It would be wise not to dismiss these sentiments but rather to listen to them and take heed of them.
It is in no way showing a lack of ability by seeking help for your child. On the contrary, you are speaking up for your child. Identifying the reasons behind their actions and dealing with them accordingly is essential to creating the kind of relationship with your child that allows them to have the confidence needed to grow.
If you are unsure about whether or not your child needs a little extra help, you should at least look into it. The sooner these matters can be dealt with, the better because then the whole family will know what they need to do.
