MOST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
When children have psychological disorders, parents delay consulting experts on this subject. In other words, while they take their children to the doctor immediately when they have a tooth or stomach ache, they do not act so quickly when it comes to psychological problems. When we look at today's conditions, how is the trend towards child psychology? Is there any progress?
People are a little more conservative about getting help from a specialist due to their children's psychological disorders. They may prolong the time it takes to consult psychologists, thinking that their problems may be periodic or will go away on their own. They are afraid to ask their friends and relatives, "Do you know any good psychologists or pedagogues?" They do not want their children to be labeled. But in fact, childhood is a very important period in which precautions can be taken to prevent people from experiencing more serious problems in the future. Of course, compared to previous years, the importance given to child psychology is increasing. While in the past, the only important thing that families cared about was that the child's stomach was full and his/her back was not sweaty, now issues such as the child's self-confidence and ability to communicate well with his/her peers have started to gain importance.
Please, if you observe any of the psychological disorders that we will talk about in a moment, in your child. , do not hesitate to get expert support. Because even if you are not aware of it, many people around you apply to us, you are not alone.
What kind of psychological diseases are encountered in children?
The most frequently applied psychological disorders to our center are as follows;
- Autism
- Learning Disorders
- Reading Disorder
- Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity
- Impulse Control Disorder
- Conduct Disorders
- Fear of School
- Tic Disorders, Stuttering
- Incontinence
- Eating Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
How is anxiety disorder seen in children?
Anxiety is actually a normal emotion that both adults and children feel from time to time. k, anger sadness etc. But when this anxiety starts to affect the person's quality of life, then we can start talking about anxiety disorder. It is completely normal for a child to feel excited and anxious when taking an exam or reading a poem in front of his friends at a ceremony, but if the child also feels this anxiety in simple, daily activities, for example, if it is experienced intensely every morning on the way to school, or if his worries occupy his mind for most of the day, If their relationships with people are affected by these concerns, it means that the child has an anxiety disorder.
What are the types of anxiety disorders?
You can observe anxiety disorders in your child in different ways because there are different types. Let's say the child is worried about more than one issue, for example, his studies, his parents' health, friendships, etc. Then we are talking about generalized anxiety disorder.
Another situation is that the child feels extreme anxiety when he has to do something in public, for example, he cannot eat in the cafeteria, he cannot speak because of anxiety when the teacher lifts him to the blackboard. Children with this disorder, also known as social phobia, believe that when they are in the spotlight, they will look stupid, they will be funny, and people will have negative thoughts about them. These children seem extremely shy when we look from the outside.
Some children appear to have obsessive compulsive disorder. The child is trapped in a cycle of repetitive thoughts and behaviors. There are recurring and stressful thoughts and fears that we call obsessions. Since obsessions create restlessness and stress, the person relaxes himself with some actions. These are compulsions. To give an example, the thought that the child will get dirt or germs from somewhere is his obsession, he feels comfortable. It is a compulsion to constantly wash your hands or constantly wipe everything with wet wipes. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder observed in children after events that may cause trauma to the child, such as accidents, earthquakes, and harassment. The child continues to remember the event and see it in his dreams. Introversion, anger or timidity observed Knows.
Could sleep problems frequently seen in children be related to anxiety disorder?
In fact, it may appear as a manifestation of anxiety disorder. For example, we can see that our child sometimes feels uncomfortable being in the dark or sleeping alone in his room, and sometimes he stubbornly refuses to do so. He wants to sleep in his parents' bed or wants them to wait by his side until he falls asleep. Since this situation puts a lot of strain on families, they have to contact us if this period lasts for a long time.
How can a parent cope with his child's night fears?
Yes, actually, without contacting us. There are also methods that families can try on their own first. First of all, this fear of the child should not be underestimated. Sentences such as "You're a big kid, what's there to be afraid of?" or "Is it possible for a man to be afraid, you're a big brother?" are of no use and are even harmful. Instead, you should take him and his fears seriously and talk to him. We can ask, "I've been seeing that you've been having trouble sleeping alone at night for a while, what's bothering you?" and encourage him to talk about the things he's afraid of. Maybe we can make it concrete by asking him to draw a picture of what he is afraid of. For example, if your child said that he is afraid of a monster in the room, you can talk about where the monster might be and then check those places together. A small lamp can be placed in the room until the child gets used to it. As parents, we should not find it absurd that they are afraid of something, we should be there for them to overcome this fear.
According to experts, more psychological disorders have begun to be seen in today's children, and even problems that we have only just heard about have begun to emerge. What do you think is the reason for this increase?
Actually, this depends on the attitude of the families and the education system. Children's education life has become a more competitive and stressful environment than before. Families' expectations from their children have increased. There is a saying that I like very much; families first make their children sick by giving them an education deprived of play, and then try to cure them by taking them to play therapy.
Just like the sleeping problem, toilet training is one of the issues that mothers have difficulty with, what is it about this issue? Can you give information such as?
Toilet training is also one of the really important issues. First of all, it is very important that we wait until the child is ready to start this education. Over time, the mother will begin to observe that the child is uncomfortable in the diaper and is aware of this when urinating or pooping. These are signs that the right time has come. We recommend that you start with a diaper-free system when you are awake and a diaper system when you sleep. Once you have found a toilet that fits his size and that he can sit on comfortably, try making him sit on it frequently. The child should be reminded of this process frequently, saying, "We will no longer use our diapers, we will come here and do it when we need to pee or poop." During this period, there will be some accidents such as peeing and pooping, but the family should remain calm and not be discouraged. If you have tried for a long time but the child stubbornly does not learn, maybe you can go back to diapers for a month or two and start again at the end of the second month. However, we should never change the diaper from the day we start training. For example, you shouldn't say, "We're going to the shopping mall today, I'll have a hard time there, let me tie it up for today."
Should a child who can't eat be forced?
I do not find it right to be stubborn with our children on any issue, including the issue of eating, because there is no solution, instead, as a family, we should look for alternative ways. For example, if you think your child is not eating at meals, take a look at his snacks and make sure he doesn't eat anything between main meals. Small snacks in between may be filling him up and preventing him from getting hungry. In fact, stop consuming liquid an hour before meal time, so that your stomach does not fill with liquid. Don't constantly ask him if he's hungry, wait for him to come and tell you. If he plays with the food on his plate but doesn't eat it, try not to get angry or show your anger, take his plate away from him and continue eating your own food. If there are dishes on the menu that he does not like, you can make them cute by cutting them into cubes and inserting colorful toothpicks into them.
How should the child be told that he will have a sibling? How should the family's attitude be?
Although the news of a new baby is very exciting for the whole family, this may not always be the case for the first child of the house. The sibling needs to learn what it means, the parents and maybe even him/her. He will have to share his pain, and these are not easy things. Many factors affect a child's ability to accept a new sibling, such as the child's age, the family's approach to the child, and the child's personality characteristics. As soon as the child learns this, thousands of questions will arise in his mind, and the most important of them is "Will my mother and father continue to love me?" Even though you tell your child that this will be the case, he will try to test you and make sure that you will love him. All his mischief and grumpiness are actually part of this test, so parents should remain patient and calm.
What are the ways to help the child get through the divorce process with the least amount of problems?
First of all, I would like to say that the child needs a happy, peaceful and patient parent. If the couple cannot achieve this when they are together, they are convinced that they will never be able to achieve this. If they are, it is a better option for everyone to end the unrest at home, but there are some factors that need to be considered.
If possible, the divorce situation should be explained to the child together.
Answer their questions honestly, without going into unnecessary details.
Convince them that they are not responsible for the divorce.
Tell them that you love them and will always care for them.
Include the other parent in school and other activities.
Be consistent and be punctual when picking them up and dropping them off.
Try not to disrupt the schedules you have with them.
Allow them to have a loving and satisfying relationship with their other parent.
>Don't create situations where they have to take sides.
Don't pressure them for information about the other parent.
Don't have arguments about child-raising expenses in front of them.
>Avoid speaking badly about the other parent and using him or her as a pawn to hurt the other parent.
What mistakes do parents make when educating their children?
My observations According to him, one of the biggest mistakes made by parents is to force the child to do things based on what they hear around them, without trying to get to know their child. For example, the child's ability
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