Raising children is no easy task especially in today’s highly sophisticated society. Millions of parents struggle with raising their kids from infancy all the way into their teenage years and finally into adulthood. Being a parent or a guardian to a child is a huge responsibility that should be taken seriously. The main objective of any form of parenting should be to raise a child to become a healthy, proactive and morally guided individual in society. Various challenges may however hinder this from happen as children may get themselves into trouble during various stages of their lives.
It is a well-known fact that many teenagers and kids are resulting to doing drugs and even committing suicide because of the nature of the troubled lives they are living. Lots of children find themselves in and out of juvenile court systems as they grow up. These children do not just decide to get into trouble one day without any warning. They gradually start to become dangerous to themselves in small ways.
You may gradually start noticing that your child is spending a lot of time alone in the own solitude. This can be a symptom of depression and prolonged sadness. On the other hand, your child can begin to act out and become more aggressive than they are used to. This can lead to your child getting into trouble in the neighborhood more often than normal. They can even go as far as getting into fights with people and using vulgar language when provoked.
Then there is tremendous rise in the number of kids and teenagers who are attempting to commit suicide on a day to day basis. This sudden spike in suicide attempts can be attributed to the increase in the number of troubled children in society. When a teenager gets to the point of slashing their arms and legs, a parent should immediately realize that their child needs help from a professional counselor.
It can sometimes be difficult to tell when your kid crosses the line from being a normal kid to being a troubled kid who is self-destructive and distant. There are a number of signs that you can look out for to gauge whether your child is doing just fine or there is something wrong with them. It is commonly said that prevention is better than cure so addressing your child’s problem well off in advance is the best thing to do. Seek counselling for teenagers and kids when you observe the below signs in your child.
Intense or Constant Anger
Teenagers are prone to acting out when they think they have been wronged. This is normal and is attributed to their changing hormonal balance in their bodies. However when a child displays anger or aggression that is out of the ordinary outbursts and mood swings, there is definitely something to worry about. Signs of intense or constant anger that can sometimes lead to violence should never be ignored.
Sadness and Depression
Everybody feels sad every once in a while and this is very true for teenagers especially. However, the state of being sad and depressed all the time is not normal. Millions of kids and teenagers are dealing with depression that arises from feelings of rejection and not being understood by society. Modern pop songs focus on these topics quite a lot so it is best to seek professional counselling for teenagers and kids when you notice these signs.
Lack of Interest
Kids love to explore and learn new things. This increased need to develop new skills and hobbies is the foundation for a career to blossom and become a reality. However, if your child has changed from being active and interested to inactive and disinterested in most things, there is definitely something to be concerned about. Lack of interest in certain productive hobbies may be as a result of increased focus on a newly acquired hobby or interest that may not be that good.
Succumbing To Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is very prevalent in teenage years and it has the potential to make or break a teenagers lives. Influence from peers can be positive or negative. Negative peer pressure is the subject of concern for many parents out there today. When you start noticing that your kid cannot make decisions on their own and require dictation by friends and peers then you should seek professional counselling for teenagers and kids.
Succumbing to peer pressure is indicator that you child may be suffering from low self-esteem, insecurity and a lack of confidence in themselves and their abilities. If such an issue is not addressed by a professional early in a child’s life, the issue may become a huge problem later on in their life.
Parenting is not easy. However, you do not have to carry the load all by yourself. Professional counselling for teenagers and kids can always help.