Just like adults, children show a wide variety of feelings and moods over the course of a day. That is why it is not always easy for parents to recognize when things are getting “serious”.
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Children can feel anxious or stressed due to various situations and often express their feelings through conspicuous behavior. But a lack of parental attention can also lead to aggression or hyperactivity. It is important to record such behavioral problems after a short time and to help the child. Because the little ones provoke with such behavior not because they are “angry”, but because they send a cry for help to their parents.
In order to notice these indirect warning signals, you should carefully observe your child and compare the behavior with that of their peers, as not every cry or every blow is a cry for attention and certain behaviors are quite normal in certain stages of development.
However, the following 10 crazy behaviors your child may have a covert call for help:
1. Aggression and biting against the parents
Aggression against the parents can often be explained by the child’s brain development. Logical and reasoning skills are still developing in young children. Biting and aggression are therefore not a reflection of a poor parenting style. Toddlers just don’t have the brain capacity to control themselves properly, and so it happens that they’ll happily throw their toys at you while you try to kiss them.
Here’s how you can react:
Offer your child your help by verbalizing their feelings and showing them the right behavior. You can then ask your child to repeat this behavior until they understand and learn the appropriate response.
2. Beat other children
Children learn how to deal with strong emotions such as fear or anger only in the course of childhood. Up to the age of 5 their communication and coping skills are not very developed and they use hitting as a form of communication.
Older children often act aggressively towards others because of fear or stress. They want to be seen and thus seek contact with their parents; Beat is sure to get them on the scene quickly.
Here’s how you can react:
Instead of talking to your little child, you can accompany them and try to avert disaster with foresight. This means that you can try to gently and almost casually “deflect” an arm after the strike-backstroke.
For older children, it helps to let them know that you do see them and show them a better way of communicating that doesn’t involve hitting them.
3. Whimper
Whimpering children are often exhausted and need the help of their parents. Through their behavior, they express that they are stressed, tired, overwhelmed or simply long for more closeness. They act like little babies to get their parents’ attention, comfort and support.
Here’s how you can react:
Even if it is difficult, try not to react to your child’s whimpering with anger or anger. It just needs your attention at this moment. Take 5 deep breaths when annoyed by the noise and respond with understanding. In this way you strengthen the relationship with your child and replenish their emotional memory.
4. Drop or destroy toys
If your child throws down their toys, destroys them, or abandons a new doll or car, it can be a sign that they are bored at home. They may long for a walk, some creative activity, or just to cuddle with you.
Here’s how you can react:
Suggest other activities for your child, but don’t be too intrusive or dominant. For example, start painting a picture. If your child feels like it, they will join you with joy.
5. Mood swings
Your child starts screaming and crying, even though nothing bad has happened? For example, you just gave him the blue mug instead of the pink one? What looks like a moderately severe disaster to your child is often only due to their development. Toddlers just can’t handle increasingly complex emotions and every disappointment, no matter how small, is very frustrating and feels like the end of the world to them.
Here’s how you can react:
Keep calm and allow your child to express their frustration. At the same time, make it clear to him that such a strong emotional outburst is inappropriate for the situation. Instead, show your child better ways to let their feelings out and let them understand that it’s not okay to push their food off the table just because you’re angry.
6. Do not get dressed or buckled up
Children who do not get dressed or who do not want to buckle up in their child seat in the car are often tired and long for rest and time to relax. Their “schedule” is just too full and they react to the stress with refusal.
Here’s how you can react:
Reconsider your child’s schedule and ask yourself if you are not putting too much on him or her with all the activities. If this is the case, delete something and incorporate rest periods into the day.
7. Say no to everything
Some children refuse to have dinner, brush their teeth, or put on their pajamas. They just don’t seem to want to cooperate. Often the parents feel as if their child is trying to manipulate them with their behavior. Saying no has nothing to do with it and is often just a sign that the child is trying to protect himself from external influences and that he does not want to be forced.
Here’s how you can react:
To avoid a power struggle, you should not react with threats. With small children, distractions or alternatives help to turn the “no” into a “yes” after all. With older children, it can be useful to give them two choices. Deciding small things on your own strengthens your child’s independence and self-confidence.
© Gettyimages
8. Lying and cheating
Children who lie now and then do not have behavioral problems. But if this behavior shows up too often, don’t ignore it. One reason for repeated lies can be fear of the child of their parents’ reaction to the truth, for example a bad grade in school.
Here’s how you can react:
First, don’t take it personally. Second, try to find the root of the lie. Third, acknowledge positive behavior even more.
9. Run in circles or keep fighting
Children who find it difficult to rest and who want to run around wildly or constantly fight, are usually not physically busy. With this conspicuous behavior, they want to indicate that they want to play outside, jump or be with other children.
Here’s how you can react:
Make sure your child is getting enough exercise and organize meetings with other children so they can play with them and get rid of their pent-up energy.
© Gettyimages
10. Strong fears
Fears are common in children and are part of normal development. Especially in toddler age, children are often afraid of the dark, of monsters under their bed and of being alone. Such fears are typical for a certain developmental age and largely disappear again in the further course. However, if children show strong fears beyond or in later development phases, e.g. refuse to go to kindergarten or school or want to sleep with their parents again and again at night, it indicates that they lack stability and security.
Here’s how you can react:
When children express fears, parents should address them – even if they seem unimportant or irrational to them. Take your child’s feelings and desires seriously, don’t ignore them or even punish them. Encourage them to keep trying the scary situation anyway. If there is a fear of separation, it can, for example, play with the next child, knowing that mom is only one house away. Or chase monsters out of the room under the bed with the help of a broom or put out “monster powder”. In this way, your child learns that they can solve difficult situations themselves and cope with them.
When dealing with children with behavioral problems, it is important that parents show a lot of understanding and empathy. Keep reminding yourself that your child does not behave badly on purpose, but rather wants to use their behavior to make you aware that something is missing. Stability, structure and closeness are important so that your child can build the self-confidence that is so important.
Sources: BrightSide, Motherly, Focus, Züriost, MedlinePlus
Thumbnails: © pinterest / yummymummyclub © pinterest / creativechild