There are certain kid behavior problems that are widespread among all children at some point in their lives. This is regardless of whether you are parenting an energetic child or dealing with a strong-willed youngster.
When it comes to behavior and habit problems, how you respond to them has a significant impact on how likely the youngster will repeat them in the future.
A kid’s behavioral difficulties might become so disruptive that they endanger normal connections between the child and others. They may also interfere with their social, emotional, and intellectual growth.
Some examples of behavioral issues:
- Violence
- Insomnia and restlessness
- Issues with food intake
- Temper tantrums are a common occurrence.
- School avoidance is a problem.
- Spells that require you to hold your breath
Numerous of these issues originate as a result of developmentally usual habits that youngsters below 8 quickly pick up and maintain.
What is happening in a child’s growth below age 8?
Kids desire to please the adults who are important to them, such as their teachers and parents. As a result, you may observe that your child gets increasingly concerned about doing things correctly.
On the flip side, your youngster may appear overconfident at some moments.
Your youngster is extremely sensitive and quickly embarrassed when it comes to other people’s beliefs and opinions. On the other hand, they may have a great deal of empathy for the plight of friends and family.
But sometimes, your youngster might require your guidance to focus on the positive aspects of their performance.
You may discover that your child is more aware of disaster news than you previously thought. This growing understanding can bring some concern and anxiety. It is best to talk about difficult topics with your child that can help him, or her make sense of things.
Thinking
A child’s knowledge of the relationship between cause and consequence is significantly greater than an adult’s. They begin to recognize how their activities have an impact on others.
Your child’s memory is also improving, and they can organize objects according to their color, shape, and size. Your youngster has a strong comprehension of numbers. They are capable of doing elementary mathematical operations such as subtracting and adding.
As your youngster continues their exploration of the world, be ready to field a slew of inquiries. Your child may conduct a series of small experiments to determine how things work.
In order to watch what occurs, they might, for example, load the toilet with soap and flush it just to see.
With so much going on at this age, don’t worry if your child becomes quickly distracted and forgets your simple instructions and requests.
Moving
There are a lot of complex moves that kids learn to do at this point in their development. They learn how to jump down steps and run in zig-zag patterns, as well as how to cartwheel.
The ability of your child to combine gross motor abilities is improving with time. The frequency with which your youngster practices these physical skills will determine how well they do.
In addition to organized sports such as football, tennis, and dance lessons, having lots of opportunities to toss, kick, run, do cartwheels, and other activities is essential.
Your child’s fine motor skills are now fully developed, and they can perform other daily cleanliness chores like brushing their teeth without your assistance. Your child can cut out uneven shapes in school books and create tiny letters inside the lines using a pencil and a paper cutter.
Communicating and chatting
Kids can follow increasingly difficult instructions and express themselves verbally to explore their feelings and thoughts. The average 8-year-old learns approximately twenty new words daily, the majority of which come from reading or being read to.
The talks your child is having are becoming longer and more complex, and you should be able to understand what they are saying.
By the age of eight, your child is beginning to express themselves and tell stories with a lot of emotion and energy. Reading alone in bed during the night, writing stories depending on daily situations, sending an instant message or email, or following a basic recipe are all things that your youngster can do.
Behavior and everyday life
At this age, your child’s life revolves around their loved ones, extra-curricular activities, friends, and school. Your child may like to gather things such as shells, football cards, among other things.
It’s normal for your child to have strong beliefs about what’s wrong and right as their values and morals mature. In addition, kids will be more observant of the actions of others.
These kinds of comparisons could lead to complaints about siblings obtaining more of something, such as “They are better at singing than me.”
Kids are becoming even more independent, and they demand a greater say in what they can and cannot do in their lives.
As a result of their newfound freedom, kids may find it enjoyable to help out around the house more frequently-at least on occasion! However, hanging out with you continues to be vital to them.
Learning and playing
The complexity of your child’s play has increased recently. It is common for young children to act out ideas that they have learned at school or from the media.
As your youngster is better at controlling their own behavior and emotions, they will do better in games that require them to follow rules and situations where they have to play fair, lose, and win.
Your youngster also takes pleasure in finding new acquaintances and playing the role of a friend. Friendships provide youngsters with a sense of belonging and opportunities to learn and practice fundamental social skills such as negotiating and sharing.
In addition, friendships can be difficult at times since friends can be overbearing or irritable at times. Friends may even exclude your youngster from social situations. The majority of your child’s connections will be beneficial, but keep an eye out for any signs of bullying in your child.
Your youngster may also begin to play more with children of the same gender as themselves.
Areas of concern on habits and behavior for children below 8 years
If you have any questions or if you notice that your child is having any of the following symptoms, talk to your doctor.
Communication and understanding
Your child
- Demonstrates problems with following directions.
- Lisp when speaking or speaking with a stammer
Play and behavior
Your child:
- Is physically violent toward other kids
- Cannot jump, hop, or skip
- Appears to be terrified of attending school or has a strong aversion to going there.
- Making new friends is hard
Daily skills
Your child:
- Continued to have regular nighttime wetness at the age of eight.
- Suffers soiling or wetness during the day
- Is unable to dress or undress independently
In the event that your youngster develops an obvious and consistent loss of skills at any age, you should consult a child health specialist.
How can you help?
Simple things you may do to assist the development of your child at this age include the following suggestions:
- Talk about your thoughts and feelings with your child and about essential concerns. This can help you establish a connection with your child and demonstrate that you are interested in their opinions.
- Allow your child to be a part of the family decision-making process as they get older, if it is OK with them to do so.
- Encourage your child to read. It’s still vital for a child’s literacy development to read. You may want to encourage your child to read to you as they become more proficient in the written word.
- Schedule some time for unstructured play. Allow your youngsters to decide how they want to spend their free playtime. Your youngster may want to go outdoors and jump a rope or toss a ball, or they may choose to stay inside and doodle.
- Allow your youngster to explore and learn both outdoors and indoors. Inside the house, they’ll find a variety of tools for experimenting, such as jars, thermometers, cups, and magnifying glasses.
- You and your child could visit a nature reserve or go for a walk in a nearby park.
- Recognize your child’s strengths and encourage them to believe in themselves. Children’s self-esteem might suffer in the early grades. This happens as they become more self-conscious and compare themselves to others.
Conclusion
Consistent discipline tactics for children under age 8 are the most effective way to manage their behavioral issues. It’s important to remember that it’s common for children to regress from time to time.
Your child may revert to baby speak when they are eight years old or become disobedient after months of cooperation. Stages such as this are typical, and they may simply be a part of the growing process that your child is going through.
However, if your child’s behavior problems are not responding to your discipline tactics or if their behavior has begun to interfere with their peer interactions or schoolwork, you should consult with your pediatrician.