In this article

• What is child psychology?
• The importance of understanding the psychology of the child
• Tips to understand the psychology of the child
• Recognize the problems of psychological development of the child
• What are the different psychological disorders in children?
• How can a child psychiatrist help?

Child psychology is a broad topic. It tells you about an individual’s development from childhood to the end of adolescence and every child is different, not only physically but also in their thought process and personality.

It is said that a child is like soft clay. It’s shaped the way you shape it. This is why understanding your child is of paramount importance to all parents.

What is child psychology?

Child psychology is an area of ​​study that delves into the mental, emotional, and behavioral development of a child. It traces the entire journey of a child from infancy to the end of adolescence and studies his cognitive and intellectual development.

The importance of understanding the psychology of the child

The early years of a person’s life are crucial to their emotional, social, and physical well-being. This has a general impact on their personalities as an adult. Research says the early years also play an important role in brain development. A person’s early experiences with their parents as well as with the outside world profoundly affect their future physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.

Tips to understand the psychology of the child

Understanding the psychological needs of a child is not easy, but it must be met. Children behave in different ways at different stages of development. A 5-6 year old child behaves differently from an adolescent.

Understanding and accepting your child’s likes, dislikes and traits (good or bad) is the key to being a good parent. When you accept them as they are, they feel safe. Here are some tips to help your child understand:

1. Monitor

You have to know your child if you want to understand him. This can only be done by being around and observing him. When you watch him play, ask for a certain thing, react to situations in a certain way, his interactions with others, etc., you know a lot about his overall personality.

2. Be your child’s best friend

Making your child feel that you are always there for him whenever he needs it can be your first step towards achieving this goal. It will make him feel safe, loved and wanted. Help him open up to you.

3. Spend quality time with your child

Just being around your child is not enough. To get to know them better, play games together, cook food (the kids are always eager to help), clean the closet or their room, etc.

4. Praise your child

Praising him for a good deed will boost his self-esteem. However, overeating can make him cocky and clumsy.

5. listen

By listening to your child, you get to know him more. Doing so will make him feel that you are interested in his life. This, in turn, will help strengthen the bond between you.

6. Talking

It can help to talk to your child about what interests him. This way, you can easily start conversations and get to know your child better.

7. Pay special attention when talking

Always maintain eye contact while talking to your baby. By doing this, you will make sure that your child believes that you are listening and that what he is saying is of paramount importance to you.

8. Give respect

When your child talks about any of his fears, fears, or any situation where he feels embarrassed, don’t laugh at him or make fun of him. You need to understand that for a child (especially during the teenage years), it is not easy to open it. It took a lot of courage on his part to do so.

9. Interpretation

Children up to 5-6 years old are bound by all the rules you made or the decisions you made to improve them. The real problem is with teenagers. Blame it on their age. In such situations, just try and explain why you had to make a certain decision or take a certain action. They may be mad at you at that moment, but eventually, over time, they will come to terms with it.

10. Opinion

Ask his opinion when necessary. Doing so will make him feel important and increase his self-worth.

11. Explore the reasons behind your behavior

If your child is misbehaving or exhibiting some negative behaviour, try to find out the reason behind it. By doing this, you will know where you go wrong as a parent, and it will give you a chance to hone your child-rearing skills.

12. Knowing his likes and dislikes

Knowing what your child likes and dislikes will help you get to know him better.

13. Freedom of Expression

Allow your child to express themselves the way they want to. You can imagine how he thinks or wants.

14. Don’t be too careful

Every parent is curious to know what is going on in their children’s lives especially since your child is not very keen on being a teenager. Too much curiosity on your part could make him feel like you don’t trust him and could ruin your bond.

15. Think Like Them

It is important to think like them when talking to them or doing an activity together. This will give him a sense of familiarity.

16. Give wings to their imagination

Walk with your little one, watch him. This may be completely different from what you see. Don’t stop him when he does this. This will help you gain insight into his inner world.

Recognize the problems of psychological development of the child

Parents have an innate ability to understand when something is wrong with their child. So how can you as a parent get a clear idea of ​​what’s going on? It is best to ask the people close to your child.

1. Friend

Ask friends who have children in the same age group and find out how their child is doing. Do they talk, are they able to write, eat alone, follow directions, etc. In the case of a teenage child, you can ask your friends how they are doing at school, their peers and others. about their behaviour, etc.

2. Internet

You can also search the Internet for your questions.

3. Teacher

During the parent meeting with the teacher, the teacher may be able to shed some light on your child’s mental health and overall well-being. You can ask him if he has noticed anything different in your child.

4. Caregiver

In today’s times in many families when both parents are working, it is necessary to assign a babysitter/babysitter for their children. He is more than consistent with her. Therefore, he is the best person to ask when you think something is wrong.

5. Pediatrician

A doctor can easily detect any deficiency in a child during scheduled visits for immunizations or checkups.

6. Psychologist

He or she will be the best person to answer any questions regarding child psychology. It can help with any behavioral issues such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety/fear or a variety of disorders in the child such as autism, ADHD, etc.

What are the different psychological disorders in children?

Many mental disorders in children have an autosomal genetic component. However, many of them do not have any physical cause. Some disorders can be diagnosed early in life, but some are not discovered until adulthood. Here is a list of them:

1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

A child with ADHD has attention problems and is hyperactive. Its hard to control his actions.

2. Intellectual disability

In this case, the child has limitations in intellectual performance and is significantly impaired in adaptive behavior.

3. Autism spectrum disorder

It is a serious developmental disorder in which the child cannot speak or speak. It affects the nervous system and the general development of the individual.

4. Conduct disorder

It is diagnosed either in childhood or adolescence. Children with this disorder have great difficulty following rules and behaving in socially acceptable ways.

5. Adjustment disorder

It is characterized by a combination of symptoms such as stress, sadness or despondency, physical symptoms of weight loss, etc. It is usually caused by a serious emotional event such as someone’s death, relocation, change of school, etc. And

6. Bipolar disorder

It is also called manic depression or manic-depressive illness. It is characterized by extreme mood swings, hyperactivity and socially unacceptable behavior, insomnia, depression or irritable mood during a depressive episode, feelings of superiority over others, and suicidal tendencies in older children and adolescents.

7. Adopted Child Syndrome

It is a disorder that is found in some adoptive children and is caused by a number of psychological and emotional problems, such as attachment to adoptive parents, attachment to the place where they lived previously or the people who used to live with them. This often leads to lying, theft, and aggressive behavior toward adoptive parents.

8. Stereotypic movement disorder

It is a disorder in which a person engages in repetitive, aimless movement that can interfere with a child’s normal daily functioning. This disorder mostly occurs in children with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities.

9. Childhood schizophrenia

It is a rare but serious mental disorder in children in which children interpret reality abnormally. In this type of disorder, the child may have hallucinations, delusions, extremely disturbed thinking and display behavior that can affect daily life.

10. Selective Mutation

It is a childhood concern which is primarily the child’s inability to speak and communicate in social settings, such as school or any place where he or she does not feel safe and comfortable.

11. Slow Speed ​​Perception

Attention disorder in which the child appears to be in a different world and is sleepy, lethargic, inactive and disoriented. He moves slowly and often stares at random things for a long time.

12. Disruptive Mood Disorder

It is a mental disorder that occurs in children and adolescents. It is a condition in which the child shows extreme irritability, anger and persistent high mood.

How can a child psychiatrist help?

Childhood developmental psychology is a broad and diverse subject. It is not easy for the average person to answer questions about this or help a child with psychological development problems. In such cases, only a specialist can help. Child psychiatrists can help in several ways. They are trained to help children with family problems, issues at school, health-related problems, and difficult relationships. They also specialize in helping children with disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.

Child psychiatrists also work to develop a child’s mental health and focus on their holistic development – cognitive, social, emotional and linguistic.

Childhood is a very important stage. A bad childhood can have a negative effect on adulthood, too. So being aware of your child’s personality is an essential part of parenting. Only when you know your child well will you be able to focus on his talents and positivity that will give him a good personality in the years to come.