Adults have them – why should children be exempt? Observing children these days, it seems to me, though, that they are more prone to having mood swings than in the past. Or maybe it is merely dependent on the personality of each individual child.
I am sure you have an idea of what I am talking about. For example, your kid would be cheerful and playful in the morning and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, his mood would change. He’d become gloomy and sulky. Of course, I am not talking about instances wherein there is a cause for the change in mood. Now that is understandable. Yet how about those instances wherein you cannot find a reason? Do you think it is something serious?
I believe that in these cases, somehow, there is an underlying reason – just like with us adults. Perhaps that reason is not immediately apparent but if you take the time to find it out, it will soon surface and you can deal with it.
The question then is how should a parent deal with these mood swings? I find this the most effective strategy – ride it out. In the beginning, my initial reaction was to argue and reason. I soon found out that, more often than not, this would only aggravate matters. It is better to wait till he gets over his bad mood and then have a talk. This way, he is feeling better and would be more likely to listen to reason.
Much like adults, don’t you think?
Originally posted on January 8, 2008 @ 7:54 am
