WHAT MAKES YOUR CHILD IRRITABLE
It is important not to overlook the impact that the parents’ moods have on a child – it is not unusual for children with mood problems to have parents who also struggle with their mood.
There is also the genetic component. You may have a grandparent who had been diagnosed with anxiety, an uncle with depression, or you yourself struggled with a mood disorder your entire life.
If this is the case, it becomes even more important to consult with a mental health professional to understand if your child may have a mood disorder that makes him or her irritable.
When children are exposed to a parent who is angry, irritable, or depressed most of the time, they learn to respond to these strong emotions.
So even if your child doesn’t have a mood disorder, he can learn that this is how one behaves.
The important thing is for you as a parent is to take care of yourself and find ways to self-calm and be available anytime for the difficult task of parenting.
Common Irritability Causes
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Can’t fall and stay asleep |
Overstimulated by sensory stimulation |
Distresses easily |
Allergies, medical problems |
Reflux, eating problems |
|
Poor organization skills |
Overwhelmed by limits and change |
Inflexibility and inability to adapt |
Home life disorganized |
Parent(s) angry or depressed |
Sometimes, parents find that they are constantly walking on eggshells around their irritable child. They may be afraid to set a limit or impose a change of activity because they know their child is likely to explode into a long tantrum. Some parents structure every minute of the child’s day to keep them organized. But this technique can be double-edged.
By overstimulating the child or giving him one activity after the next in order to distract him can backfire, and cause the child to become flooded with too much stimulation, ultimately leading to an never-ending cycle of tantrums.
In scientific studies of irritable children with regulatory problems, experts found that irritable children express themselves through distress signals.
They may scream, kick, push, bite, and yell to let you know how they feel.
There may be very little calm discussion about things, or happy activity that fills their time. This state of chaos and intensity causes the parent-child interaction to become disrupted and thus everything becomes negative.
Sometimes, parents withdraw or disengage to avoid negative interactions with their child. Moreover, they may let their child play alone when they are happy and miss the best time to interact with them.