Behavior Problems in Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

As any parent of young children knows, there is a lot that goes into keeping these little ones in line! They are just beginning to explore their world, and you can tell them the same things a 1,000 times, and they still don't get it! But that's because they are eager to explore the world, exert their independence, and their curiosity sometimes just doesn't keep up with what they are actually allowed to do!

While most children are potty trained by the time they reach three to four years old, the occasional accident does happen. However, if your child is having more than the occasional bedwetting mishap, you're probably tired of dealing with the aftermath of the incident and you might be running out of sheets.

In the eyes of a toddler, fear can be very overwhelming. When it comes to helping your child get over his or her apprehension of the dark, the doctor, or the washing machine, you must be patient and try to understand the feelings of your child. By taking action against fear, you can teach your children to face the scary things of the world and overcome the obstacles that they can cause.

As a parent it can be hard watching your child deal with the symptoms of dyslexia. The learning disability has also been known to cause other issues, including low self-worth and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While signs of ADHD appear in about 25 percent of dyslexics, low self-esteem has the possibility to affect everyone who is suffering from the disability.

We've all been there before; the breaking point in an argument with our child. Every parent has arguments with their children but it begins to develop into something more when your child displays a constant bad attitude and disrespectful behavior. When this behavior beings to interrupt your daily life and forbids your from completing average, simple tasks with your child it has already developed too far.

All kids have habits, even toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners who are just beginning to form their views of the world. Whether these little behaviors are centered around the way children eat or the way they watch television, they are normally harmless. But what are parents to do when habits become bad habits? Or when a bad habit becomes more a way of life than an occasional bad behavior?

Preschoolers and Kindergarteners are hardly manipulative enough to coerce you into buying them extra sweets or guilt you into letting them play for an extra five minutes (although if you are a softy their innocent little faces may work in their favor); however, they are old enough to pit one parent against another or cry until they get what they want. You may be clever, but so is your child, and young kids really know when to turn on the waterworks.

We've all witnessed our children acting out with defiant behavior, but when does this behavior begin to progress to something else more serious? Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or ODD, is a psychiatric disorder in children that is characterized by extreme uncooperative and hostile behavior. Every child has these traits to some degree, but you may notice it's more extreme when the child's behavior stands out against other children of the same age group, frequently and consistently. You may also notice this hostile behavior is directed to authoritative figures, such as adults and teachers.

To accurately diagnose ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can be difficult, as the disorder affects children in many different ways. Therefore there is no single test to diagnose ADHD, also referred to as attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADHD is only diagnosed by a doctor after a child has shown several or close to all of the symptoms of the behavior disorder on a regular basis for more than six months.

It's something most of us don't want to think about, our child having a learning disability. We don't want our child to go through life with any sort of disability or medical aliment, but the fact is an upwards of 10 percent of children have a learning disability. If your child shows symptoms of a learning disorder it's important to address the problem immediately.

Nose picking; you may find it a disgusting behavior but your child doesn't. There are many children who have the bad habit of picking their nose, whether they're in public or not. Your first reaction may be to yell and tell your child how disgusting their habit is. This reaction is unwarranted and you won't get you the result you're looking for.

Kids today learn quickly about the power of a word, which like their oft repeated “awesome” – is pretty awesome. They realize early on that words can get them what they want, and make people laugh or cry. Insults are one kind of hurtful speech that kids do learn early -“baldy”, “old maid”, “fatty”, “skinny”, “stupid head” – the list goes on and on. But then, there are the other words – the 7 words made famous by George Carlin - words that are unacceptable because they represent dirty and sexual things, or are disgusting and crude. Kids may not always know what they mean – but they know what they are – and how they can be used to get a rise out of their parents – The Swear Words.

Power struggles are an inevitable part of raising a child. At some point during their life your child will question your authority, choices and decisions. You should be prepared to encounter power struggles with a variety of information and solutions to solve these arguments. It's important to remain cool and collected in the face of power struggles or chaos will certainly ensue. Being prepared for these unavoidable events will limit their severity.

We've all witnessed the ever explosive temper tantrum. You may have even felt as if you were having an out of body experience, as you tried to fight your embarrassment over the blood-curdling screams that emitted from your child's mouth in your favorite store. Whichever way you've experienced the tantrum, you may have only thought about ways to deal with this behavior after the fact. However, the SuperNanny tip on tantrums is to prevent the incident in the first place.

Dealing with separation anxiety, especially when going to school, is something you and your child are bound to experience. It's natural for kids to feel anxious or upset when it's time to say goodbye to the one person they spend the most time with. This is a common child behavior. In fact, separation anxiety is a normal stage of development; however, it becomes excessive and out of hand when anxieties start getting in the way of school or daily activities.

It's inevitable that you'll eventually catch your child lying. Maybe you haven't yet or maybe you've opted to ignore it but sooner or later it will happen. This doesn't mean your child is a "liar" or you did something wrong in raising them, it's just a fairly common bad behavior among kids. Not that there are any "good intentions" when lying, but children usually lie to get something they want, avoid punishment, protect their friends or siblings or to get attention. Most likely your child isn't lying to challenge or disobey you, there's a valid reason behind their lies and it's your job to figure it out.

A can-do attitude can be described as precocious in some preschoolers and kindergarteners, but in others it can hint at a defiant nature that may cause trouble when ignited by a bad temper. Toning down anger and defiance can be difficult, as they may have a tricky time detaching themselves from the emotions that have gotten them so worked up, but getting a handle on screaming and yelling is an important part of effective parenting.

Every parent has witnessed it at some point the infamous temper tantrum that sneaks up on even well-behaved children. One minute they are fine and the next you are not sure who they are! They are engulfed in anger: yelling, crying, and doing who knows what else! It can be a crazy scene, but one that is better tackled with an understanding of what tantrums are and what you can do to help get past them.

If your child suffers from nocturnal enuresis, otherwise known as bed wetting, you may find that it's not only frustrating, but it can be costly. Whether you are buying the child nighttime training pants, or you are washing sheets every morning, it can really add up. What you may want to invest in, instead, is a bed-wetting alarm.

Breath holding spells are surprisingly common for preschoolers and kindergarteners, but that doesn't mean that they are any less scary. During a breath holding spell your child may turn blue, faint, or even appear as though they are having a seizure. Despite the anxiety that these spells are sure to cause, parents should remain calm and understand why these spells occur so that they can help their child recover from them and, if possible, avoid them completely.

Even grownups are sometimes afraid of the dark. As adults, we know that the darkness may hide certain dangers that we need to look out for. Imagine how preschoolers and kindergartners feel about the dark. It's full of who-knows-what! Kids are convinced that there are monsters and other scary things hiding away in the dark. Some kids are so freaked out by the dark that they simply can't sleep if their room is not lit in some way.