Parent/Child Issues
Almost all parents want to do what they can to help their children grow into healthy, happy, and responsible adults. Parenting is one of life’s most important and difficult tasks, yet we receive little formal training or education to prepare us. Having a positive self-image and self-confidence can influence the quality of your child’s life. If your child feels good about themselves and confident in their abilities, they will tend to feel good about others as well.
When children have low self-esteem, or are troubled in other ways, they may have difficulty communicating their distress to adults. How can you tell if your child is experiencing stresses that are pushing coping skills to the limits? Be sensitive to the following signals from your child:
- Any change in sleep habits such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, nightmares, or wanting to sleep more than usual
- Frequent irritability, negative attitude about many things
- Overreacting to small things, daily frustration with crying or anger
- Sad expression, never or seldom laughing or smiling when with playmates
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and not wanting to attend activities previously enjoyed
- Increase in physical aggressiveness with peers, adults, or animals
- Loss of appetite or overeating in ways not typical of the child
- Behavior problems in school, falling grades
- Frequent physical complaints (stomach aches, head aches) for which the doctor finds no medical cause
If Centerstone Solutions is your EAP and you observe any of the above behaviors, you and your child may benefit from a consultation with an EAP professional. They can assist you in developing an appropriate plan of action for you and your child. Please call Centerstone Solutions at (800) 766-0068 for a free, confidential evaluation.