Parenting can be tough, tiring and frustrating.
It is often wonderful and will always force us to look at ourselves from time to time.
A child’s behaviour is directly related to whether emotional and physical needs.
There are some important things to know about children’s development.
Brain growth and thinking abilities are a result of a child’s age and stage of maturity.
Young children tend to:
- Be self-focused — they view everything from their own perspective. This can mean they believe things happen because of them — such as parents getting angry (even when it is unrelated to them)
- Have trouble seeing another person’s point of view
- Have difficulty consistently understanding the concept of sharing
- Often believe what others tell them, for example, they are bad/shy/silly/ naughty
- Have trouble understanding that some things are permanent — such as death or parents separating
- Often misinterpret words due to their limited knowledge and language skills
- Have difficulty with the concept of time — they might not be able to monitor what five minutes or an hour mean, and concepts such as next week or next year are often meaningless to them
- Deteriorate in their behaviour when they are tired, sick or hungry
- Have an increase in their desire to negotiate friendships.
Children at this stage of development require:
- Consistency – especially between different parents/carers
- Clear boundaries and family rules – such as no hitting, no hurting, no name calling
- Routines — so they can predict what happens at different times
- Stability
If you are struggling to cope as a parent we can provide you with evidenced based support as a single parent or as a couple.
Call now 0449 991 561
(Adapted from Tuning in to Kids 2012)
