MOODS
Children are actually much more moody than adults. They are
entertained much more easily and they are thwarted and frustrated more easily too. They have very much less understanding and
control of themselves and the world around them. As a result, they can run through the gamut
of feeling and emotion in an extraordinarily short period of time. A child, rollicking with laughter, can be
precipitously plunged into cries of anguish and, a moment later, with his
cheeks still wet with tears, begin to laugh all over again. All of this is within the normal range of
expression for children.
Additionally, they have their bright and dark days, just as
we do. A child one day may be quiet,
brooding, even complaining and cantankerous.
Another day he is bright and cheerful.
Sometimes we are able to trace his darker moods to fatigue, illness,
jealousy of the new baby, change of residence, placement in a nursery school,
etc. in other words, we recognize the mood
as the persistence of vague feelings of unrest about something in his life.
The fact of the matter is that no one can pretend to
understand all of these emotional changes.
So long as the moods do not last for days on end and with great
intensity, there is little reason for parents to be concerned. In the event
that the child’s behavior shows either a marked persistence of these feelings
or extremely rapid and unpredictable changes back and forth, it is best to get
some professional assessment of the situation.
If something is wrong, we are then placed in a position of greater
understanding about what can be done. If
all is well, we will at least be reassured sufficiently to dismiss the matter.
A good rule of thumb concerning our children’s moods is for us
not to be too sensitive about them. Let
us see what he himself can do in developing greater stability of feeling.
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