Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Courtney Pochin & Jacob Rawley

Psychologist tells parents telltale signs something is 'wrong' with your child

Every child is different and deals with emotions in their own way, which is why it can sometimes be tough to spot when something isn't right.

However, it is important to be aware of potential signs that something is 'wrong', and thankfully an expert has shared some helpful tips to do so.

Speaking to the Mirror, child psychologist Professor Sam Wass has shared telltale signs that your little one may need some emotional help.

Speaking in partnership with Virgin Media O2's Connected Playground, he explained: "This varies a lot between children, but as psychologists, we tend to categorise that something is going wrong with a child in two very different ways.

"The first is something we call externalising behaviours and this is what happens when a child is feeling bad inside and then they take it out on the world, they'll go and punch their sister or act out, running around, breaking things and being very chaotic.

"So if you're seeing changes in your child's behaviour and if you have a child that has a tendency to externalise their bad mood and take it out on things, then it can be very easy to spot when something is wrong, they'll be playing out more and being more argumentative.

"That is one type of child and if you have that type of child, that is the way they'll always tend to manage their bad moods."

While some may be extroverted, others may internalise their emotions (Getty Images)

The expert went on to discuss internalising behaviours, which is the other telltale behaviour pattern parents need to be on the look out for. He believes these signs are "much harder" to spot.

"Internalising is the exact opposite pattern, so when a child is in a bad mood, they'll turn things in on themselves and become less communicative," he says.

"When they're not feeling good about themselves, they'll do what we call rumination, so they'll have thoughts going round and round and round in their head but they won't tend to share them.

"It's something that often tends to run in the family, so you might have this tendency yourself where you store up worries and don't really talk about them."

Children may be less communicative, will make less noise and often they'll go off by themselves. Although this can very much depend from child to child.

He added: "Two children can be struggling with something and respond in very different ways, so it depends on the child.

"Externalising behaviours can be very in your face, while internalising disorders tend to be harder to spot and you really need to know what you're watching out for with them."

Previously, the expert issued a warning to parents over the 'worst' thing that you could say to a little one.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.