7 Signs It May Be Time To See A Child Therapist
When confronted with a child’s challenging behavior, anxiety, or intense emotional responses, conscientious parents are often left wondering whether their child is experiencing just “normal growing pains” or something that requires a little more attention.
For parents of children over the age of 5, what’s considered abnormal may be harder to distinguish. In the first few years of a child’s life, parents are acutely aware of whether their child is meeting his or her developmental milestones on time. If a child is not making eye contact, using words in sentences, or walking by a certain age, concerned parents are likely to take action by visiting their pediatrician’s office. However, as kids grow older, it’s less common to keep tabs on developmental milestones and signs of behavioral or emotional challenges can often go ignored or unnoticed until the problem is impacting the family as a whole.
What complicates this issue is that some normal behaviors or emotional responses that are exhibited in one child may be abnormal in another. For example, tantrums experienced by children under the age of six are not typically a cause for concern and are considered developmentally normal behavior. However, frequent, intense tantrums experienced by a child at the age of 9 would be worth checking out. Age, frequency, and intensity of the emotional reactivity are all factors that play a role.
Here are some signs that your child may benefit from therapy:
Behavioral Changes
- Sleep setbacks. Is your child waking up in the middle of the night? Is it harder than usual to fall asleep? Is your child sleeping too much or complaining of regularly being tired? This may be a sign of anxiety or depression.
- Food for thought. Is your child eating more or less than usual? Is there an abrupt extreme pickiness in what he or she will eat? Does your child who typically has a voracious appetite suddenly have trouble even getting through dinner or rarely asks for food anymore? A child suddenly restricting his/her diet, or unexplainable changes in appetite, may also be manifestations of underlying anxiety or depression.
- Hygiene headaches. Is your child suddenly refusing to take a bath or a shower? Is hair or teeth brushing a struggle? Is your child washing his/her hands constantly? Any extremes in this department are a sign that something may be up.
- Toilet trouble. If your child is suddenly wetting the bed after being potty trained for some time, there may be cause for concern.
A lot of times, parents will see a change in their child’s behavior and not realize that it is symptomatic of emotional struggles.
Emotional Changes
- Crying For Help. Is your child suddenly crying what may seem like all of the time? Are you running to the store for kleenex on a weekly basis? Crying is absolutely a normal expression of human emotion, but increased frequency and severity are indicative of a potential issue.
- Changes In Attitude. While rolling their eyes during the teenage years is totally normal, a child with a tremendously nasty attitude that makes you ask yourself, “who is this person in my house?” may be a different story. Depression and anxiety can often manifest as extreme irritability in children and teens.
- Repeated Refusal. Is your child avoiding activities or people that he/she would not ordinarily avoid? Whether it’s going to soccer practice, dance class, grandma’s house, or hanging out with friends, refusal or avoidance are signs that something’s going on with your kid.
When To Make An Appointment With A Child Therapist
We always say that parents are our best resource as therapists when working with their child. You know your kid better than anyone else and that knowledge and relationship are incredibly important in therapy. Pay attention to your gut. Any extremes or distinct changes are imperative to attend to. If your quality of life is being impacted or if something doesn’t feel right to you, it’s worth making an appointment with a child therapist to discuss the issue and see if further assessment and therapy may be helpful.
If you or someone you know is in need of a child therapist in the Nashville area, please feel free to contact us at clientcare@nashvillepsych.com. I would be happy to help you navigate challenging behaviors and emotions.
