Behaviors to watch for in kids.

Note: If you are concerned about your child please speak with your physician for help and support services.

With all that comes at families today, we need to be ever more vigilant regarding behaviors. The nervous system is the way our bodies receives stimulus from its environment and how it responds to stimulus. In addition the sensory and motor system are deeply integrated so underlying challenges may show up here as well. These points are mostly from an observational standpoint but are in no way meant to serve as definitive standards or cause for alarm.

Some moderate to extreme of the possible ways these behaviors may show are as follows:

Long periods of sadness and withdrawal from the familiar and unfamiliar. Particularly concerning is when the only comfort is isolation coupled with decreased desire to separate from a parent or adult. The reverse may present where they cannot be touched by anyone including loved ones.

Delayed speech or no speech manifesting as extreme behaviors tied to their ability to communicate.

Freezing up for simple activity leading to tears or running away can be normal for some age periods. These intense feelings may elevate heart rate and breathing causing massive anxiety stemming from even the discussion of an idea. Avoiding things they previously liked or enjoyed.

Some other behavior changes – Changes in personality that can be uncharacteristic at school or at home. Accidentally wetting themselves after previously managing this bodily function.

Defiance that cannot be reasoned even after long discussions and agreements.

Repetitive behaviors such as touching themselves in a repetitive pattern possibly associated with environmental stimulus or expectations. When questioned, they are unaware or unable to explain the expressed response. Another repetitive behavior can be obsessive irrational ordered processes for simple tasks like washing hands, using the bathroom, drinking from the water fountain, walking down hallways and may others.

Uncontrollable rage that sometimes have to exhaust itself. The inability to consciously calm themselves even when the object of the desire is acquired or achieved or until its acquired or achieved.

Extreme dark and negative thoughts associated with death, destruction and possibly scaled to all manner of violent thought. More rare extremes where the child would act it out on other children, pets and other living things. These behaviors at any level should be met with open communication with right and wrong and for boys and girls a Fatherly figure or someone with deep understanding of rough play or engagement. This is not to say Mother’s cannot have these conversations but it’s really anyone that could help the child put physical limits on the engagement without trying to take it away all together. Discussing violent ideas or thought can be totally different from a child acting on the thoughts he or she is having without promotion. This can be entirely relative from family to family even from parent to parent in the same household. Be mindful if one parent is raising a concern flag, stay on the side it’s probably valid and seek help. You may not have the tools needed to process through the emotions with the child.

Difficulty concentrating – mental or physical task that need attention and concentration to perform. Math, science and any subject that may have less story based information may be difficult for some. If may show as heavy lifting on their part or overall excessive cognitive load.

Compulsive touching and obsessively gathering of things with disregard for consequence beyond age appropriateness.

Not wanting to sleep in their own rooms due to several reasons or none at all beyond that of their peers. Constant negotiation with little to no success getting them to understand as they age.

Unexpected weight loss – lack of appetite for their favorite foods or non age appropriate progression of diversification of food.

Obsessive thoughts about Area 51 and other constructs of imagination that are unable to be explained by adults. These and other things can be associated with lack of sound believe and identity. Most of these are harmless but the more parents avoid or deflect questions such as this can have negative effects on some specifically in the area of belief and identity.

You will know if you recognize it to be a problem because of the possible strain on relationships including the family as a whole and natural progressions.

I know parents, this can be a lot to take in but the bottom line is that when in doubt speak to providers and other leaders or specialists in the community that have expertise in the raring of children. Do not use words like that’s what I did and assume it’s something that can be ignored because you overcame. Behaviors or any behaviors that manifest outside the behavioral norms means that everyone your child encounters will have to know how to respond and engage with them as well. This can lead to isolation or ostracized responses within their social circles. Keep in mind that most interactions are not always supervised with narrow focus. They are typically based on ratios and a teacher with an eye of the collective interactions as opposed to individual ones. If the particular behavior affects the safety, security and positive growth of another the school or other institution typically has to come up with corrective measures that may not be in your child’s best interest with ramifications affecting their thriving.

Once again, thank you for reading and I hope you were able to get some perspective or at minimum some understanding. An analogy I like to use; image what happens when a teen first learn to drive and how difficulty is to make the vehicle a natural extension of themselves similar to our experiences. Progressing through development can have similar challenges most of which can be overcome with time and awareness.

Kidstrive to have a sense of understanding of their surroundings in order to navigate.