Having a child is always a tough job that requires constant attention. Children are born trouble-makers, high in energy, and tend to behave very strangely from time to time.
All of these might be normal tendencies but some factors are often a sign that you need to visit a child psychologist.
When kids have problems with their emotions or behavior, the earlier they are diagnosed the better.
But most of these behaviors are normal for children, so parents feel like it would waste a lot of their time and money for a problem that the child could simply ‘grow out’ of.
Sometimes this is good advice, but when it’s not it can be really difficult at the late stages.
However, some instances trigger these behaviors in children, life-changing events like parents’ divorce, new siblings, changing schools, cities, and so on.
This could be an adjustment phase, however even then going to therapy is suggested.
What to watch out for
If you decide to wait and watch your child’s behavioral patterns, there are a few aspects that you can use as a measure to see if you need your child to take for a visit to your child psychologist.
Behavior
If your kid’s behavior is causing trouble repeatedly in school, with friends or is seen disturbing family time, it is important to see what’s causing this. Disruptive behaviors can be dangerous to both your child and those around them.
These feelings can often be caused by anxiety, trauma, or undiagnosed disorders. If you see that it is not a short phase, it is time to get help before it follows them into adolescence and adulthood.
Emotional Problems
Children can get cranky, angry, sad, loud, and irritable out of nowhere. This is normal, but most kids usually don’t stay in these moods for very long.
If your child is showing prolonged emotional extremities and it is affecting their ability to do normal things, getting help is a good idea.
When to Take Action
Waiting for things to work themselves out is a reasonable action, but after a point, you simply cannot wait anymore for your child might be an imminent danger to himself/herself and others. Here are signs that you need to consult a child psychologist immediately:
- Problems making friends, aggressive with family, shows no interest in academics or leisure activities and has withdrawn from socializing completely
- Feels bad about self, starts being aggressive when spoken about it, and shows no confidence
- Worries excessively about the future and is constantly hopeless
- Steep changes in sleep and eating habits
- Engaging in negative behavior way more than positive
- Self-destructive and violent behavior is an immediate red-light. Any kind of self-harm is also a reason to seek help now.
- Feels like they aren’t noticed, aren’t worthy, or like no one wants them around or cares about them
- Talks about suicide explicitly and with great thought
If you notice any of the mentioned changes in your child, try to introspect on what major event has transpired in the child’s life. If these problems last for weeks or months or together, it is highly clear that you will need to take your kid to a child psychologist.
