Child Psychology is a wide-ranging subject. It tells you about an individual’s growth from childhood to the end of adolescence and how each child is different from the other, not only physically, but also in the process and personality of their thinking. It’s said that a kid is like soft clay. Just the way you mold him, he takes shape. It is therefore of utmost importance for all parents to understand their child.
What is Child Psychology?
Child Psychology is a study field that examines a child’s mental, emotional and behavioral development. This traces a child’s entire path from infancy to the end of adolescence and studies its cognitive and intellectual development.
Tips to Understand Child Psychology
It’s not easy to understand a child’s psychological needs, but it needs to be done. Kids are behaving in different ways at different stages of development. A 5-6-year-old child can behave differently from a teenager.
The trick to being a good parent is to understand and embrace the likes, dislikes, attributes (good or bad) of your child. They get a sense of security when you embrace them just the way they are. Here are a few ideas for your child’s understanding:
1. Spend Quality Time with your Child
It’s not enough to be around your child. In order to know him better, they do things together such as playing games, cooking (children are always eager to help), cleaning cupboards or their house, etc.
2. Be the best friend of your child
Having your child knows that you are always there for him whenever he needs you will be your first step towards achieving this goal. This will make him feel protected, loved and desired.
3. Observe
If you want to understand him, you need to know your child. This can be done simply by being around him and watching him. You get to know a lot about his overall personality when you see him playing, asking for something, reacting in a certain way to situations, his interaction with others, etc.
4. Listen To Your Child
You get to know him better by listening to your son. Doing so will make him feel interested in his life. This, in turn, will help reinforce the bond between you two.
5. Give Respect
Do not laugh or mock him when your child speaks about any of his insecurities, doubts, or circumstances in which he has been put to shame. You need to recognize that it is not particularly easy to open up for a child (especially during his teenage years). To him, it must have taken a great deal of bravery to do so.
6. Explaining
Children up to 5-6 years of age must abide by all the laws you have created or the choices you have made to improve them. The real problem is with teenagers. Blame it at their age. Just try to explain why you had to make a certain decision or do something in such situations. They may be angry with you at that moment, but they will understand eventually, with time.
7. Don’t Be Too Curious
Every parent is eager to know what’s going on in the life of their child, especially if your child is a teenager but isn’t overly curious. Too much curiosity on your part might make him feel you don’t believe in him and this might end the bond between you two.
Different Psychological Disorders in Children
Many psychiatric disorders in children are due to a physiological genetic basis. However, many of them do not have any physical causes. Some disorders may be diagnosed early in life, but some are not detected until adulthood.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Intellectual Disability
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Conduct Disorder
- Adjustment Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Adopted Child Syndrome
- Stereotypic Movement Disorder
- Childhood Schizophrenia
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
How Can A Psychologist Help?
Psychology for children’s development is a vast and varied subject. It is not easy for a layperson to answer questions or help a child with psychological developmental problems. Only a specialist could help in such cases. Child Psycho-therapists can help in a number of ways. They were trained to help kids with family issues, school issues, health-related issues, and complicated relationships. They are also specialized in helping children with disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.
Child psychotherapists also concentrate on the improvement of a child’s mental wellbeing and focus on its overall intellectual, emotional and linguistic development.
Childhood is a very important stage. A bad childhood might also have a negative impact on the adulthood of the individual. Consequently, awareness of the personality of your child is an important part of parenting. You will only be able to focus on his abilities and his strengths if you know your child well, which in effect would give him a full personality in future years.
