Kids who are normally well behaved may start acting up from time to time. When you find yourself seeing this shift in how they act you may scratch your head and ask what went wrong?
Some parents may start to wonder if it’s their fault or whether they may have some sort of issue which they can’t identify. Rest assured, however, that behavioral changes can happen to many children. When it comes to reasons why their behavior may take a sudden dip, here are some of the most common.
Parents Going Through Divorce
When parents go through a divorce there can be a lot of stress involved beyond just separation. Along with splitting comes decided which child will live where, who will pay child support, and who takes which belongings.
This can quickly start to rub off on a child who isn’t ready for this kind of emotional responsibility yet. Having to keep up with things like school or extracurricular activities while battling an emotional challenge at home can start to make a child angry and helpless. This, in turn, can result in rebellious behavior.
Not Sleeping Well
Sometimes it’s as simple as not getting enough sleep. Adults aren’t so different from children when it comes to acting up if they haven’t slept well.
Kids are also susceptible to bad moods and being grumpy if they feel under-rested or exhausted. Make sure that your child is getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night depending on their age.
Hormones
As children start to transition from child to teenager, their bodies undergo an incredible amount of change. Hormones start to take over and they can feel overrun by conflicting emotions and feelings.
If your child has started acting up and is between the age of 11 and 13, chances are this may be the answer.
Not Enough Language
When children are younger and are still grasping their language abilities they can start to feel extremely frustrated when they can’t express themselves properly.
Not having the language to be able to say what they want and need can leave them feeling angry and held back.
Once they are able to fully communicate their needs, you’ll find that they will have far fewer tantrums.
Being Bullied In School
When kids are getting bullied in school it can quickly start to make them feel angry. When children feel ganged up on or humiliated they will start to feel bottled up anger which can express itself ate unexpected moments.
IF you notice more anger than usual try to get a feel for whether anything has been happening in school which is upsetting them. You may want to talk to their teacher as well.