By Claudia Trinklein-Engman

When should we as parents become concerned about our child's behavior and consider seeking professional advice or help? I have compiled a list of behaviors that are considered by professional mental health practitioners to be possible indicators of a child experiencing emotional difficulties. When two or more of these behaviors are exhibited by your child, I would encourage you to consider some sort of mental health intervention, such as parent support groups, age-appropriate child groups, appropriate reading, and/or brief or longer-term counseling or therapy. It is important to remember while reading this list, that I am discussing extreme behavior that is consistent over a period of time. We all experience some of these issues within our lifetime, yet if it seems to be getting in the way developmentally for your child, I would take it very seriously.

Excessive shyness
Exhibiting of fears
Nervous habits - thumb sucking or nail biting
Resentment of authority -challenging behavior - ignoring directions
Excessive temper tantrums
Anxiety about pleasing adults
Excessive crying or dramatic mood swings
Tendency to put others down
Bullying of others - teasing
Difficulty making and/or keeping friends
Apparent helplessness
Apparent loneliness
Excessive bragging or boasting
Inability to concentrate, appears preoccupied much of the time
Fear of risk
Need for constant praise, craves attention - manipulates for attention
Sudden changes in behavior - very aggressive or very withdrawn
Any suicidal ideation or preoccupation with death
Sudden drop in school performance
Unwillingness to discuss problems
Sleep Disorders
Eating or feeding disorders