Are your child’s behavioral problems making everyone miserable?

• Does your child cope poorly with stress, throw tantrums or act out in aggressive or angry ways?
• Is your child defiant, disrespectful or oppositional?
• Does your child have difficulty tolerating disappointment, frustration or stress?
• Is creating and maintaining healthy rules and boundaries for your child a constant uphill battle?
• Do you wish you could figure out the source of your child’s behavioral difficulties and develop an effective course of action?

Having a child with behavioral problems can be frustrating, confusing, and overwhelming. It’s common to worry that you’re doing something wrong or wonder if the challenging behavior will ever end. Everyday can feel like a struggle, especially if your child is also acting out in school, in public and within relationships. Maintaining boundaries can feel impossible, and you may waver between worrying about the immediate and long-term effects of the behavioral problems and feeling pushed to your wits end.

Behavioral problems in children can manifest in many ways. Children may throw tantrums, act impulsively, talk back, refuse to go to school or participate in activities, or be defiant and disrespectful. You may wonder if these behaviors are part of a phase and will pass or if they are indicative of deeper, underlying issues.

Is It A Phase Or A Pattern?

While oppositional and defiant behavioral problems in children are not pleasant to deal with, these behaviors are often a normal part of childhood. Children will test limits and sometimes seek negative attention. However, when disobedient and disruptive behaviors are ongoing, and a child is not learning from consequences or a reward system for good behavior, there may be cause for concern. A trained and experienced Orenstein Solutions child psychologist can help to determine if your child is going through a normal developmental phase or if deeper, more problematic issues are occurring.

Orenstein Solutions Can Provide Support and Skills

Your Orenstein Solutions child therapist can help you and your child identify, explore, and address the underlying causes of your child’s behavioral problems. Children who exhibit angry or disruptive behaviors are often seeking negative attention, which can be indicative of an underlying problem. Oftentimes, identifying the cause of the behavioral problems and addressing communication issues can provide immediate relief to both parent and child.

Through age-appropriate approaches, including play therapy and family therapy for younger children, your Orenstein Solutions therapist can help your child better understand and work through challenging emotions, as well as learn more effective ways of self expression.

Your therapist can also provide you with tools, skills and strategies that you can use to motivate your child and correct behavioral issues. You can learn when to apply rewards and consequences, and when to hand a problem back to your child, thereby promoting accountability and responsibility. You can also learn how to better understand your child so that you will have more influence and a stronger connection. Our child therapists will provide you with support and guidance on how to create structure and boundaries for your child, which promote adjustment and emotional wellbeing.

At Orenstein Solutions, we believe in a team approach when treating children’s behavioral problems. Our therapists will not only develop a trusting and supportive relationship with your child, but also one with you and your family through family therapy sessions and phone check-ins. We also coordinate treatment with your child’s teachers and pediatrician, among others, so that everyone is working toward a shared goal. As a team, we can identify strengths, weaknesses and goals, and implement strategies that can best support your child’s success.

Behavioral problems in children are a common issue, with practical, effective solutions. Therapy will take some work, but with an inclusive approach and a willingness to implement strategies as needed, your child can work through behavioral problems, better understand and manage his or her emotions and develop the groundwork needed for sustained, future success.

But, you still may have questions or concerns…

How can I tell if my child is just going through a phase or if the behavioral problems are cause for real concern?

What your child is experiencing may be a phase – or it may not be. If your child’s behavior is causing stress to him or her and your family, it’s best to be proactive and schedule a consultation with one of our child therapists to address your concerns. We can utilize the session to answer questions, offer opinions, give you an idea of what therapy will entail and discuss whether your child’s behaviors may be signaling a deeper problem. Early intervention has been proven to be highly effective in treating behavioral problems in children, and taking a proactive approach can help to correct behaviors and patterns before they become entrenched.

I think that my child needs therapy, but I’ve heard that therapy for behavioral problems in children is expensive and can take a long time.

It can be helpful to think about therapy for behavioral problems in children as an investment in your child’s immediate and long-term wellbeing, as well as an investment in your entire family. We understand that when a child is struggling with behavioral issues, the entire family is impacted. Children who are oppositional, defiant, angry or aggressive can be challenging to understand, communicate with and relate to, often creating conflict at home and at school. Investing in your child now creates the opportunity for your child to learn behavioral modification strategies, as well as coping techniques to manage fear, stress, anger and disappointment. Therapeutic intervention at an early age can instill healthy patterns that can promote balance and harmony at home and school. Getting help now can not only help your child feel and function better immediately, but also set him or her up for long-term success.