common problems that the students in early childhood encounter

Children acquire many skills as they grow. Some skills, such as controlling urine and stool, depend mainly on the level of maturity of the child's nerves and brain. Others, such as behaving appropriately at home and in school, are the result of a complicated interaction between the child's physical and intellectual (cognitive) development, health, temperament, and relationship with parents, teachers, and caregivers.

Behavioral and developmental problems can become so troublesome that they threaten normal relationships between the child and others. Some behavioral problems, such as bed-wetting, can be mild and resolve quickly. Other behavioral problems, such as those that arise in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD—see Learning and Developmental Disorders: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), can require ongoing treatment. Most of the problems described in this chapter arise out of developmentally normal habits that children easily acquire. The goal of treatment is to change undesirable habits by getting children to want to change their behavior. This goal often takes persistent changes in actions by the parents, which in turn result in improved behaviors by the children.

Behavioral Problems due to Parenting Problems Praise and reward can reinforce good behavior. Many busy parents give their children attention only for negative behavior, which can backfire when that is the only attention the children receive. Because most children prefer attention for inappropriate behavior to no attention at all, parents should create special times each day for pleasant interactions with their children. A number of relatively minor problems of behavior may be due to parenting problems. Child-parent interaction problems are difficulties in the relationship between children and their parents, which may begin during the first few months of life. The relationship may be strained because of a difficult pregnancy or delivery; because the mother has depression since the delivery or receives inadequate support from the father, relatives, or friends; or because the parents are disinterested. Contributing to the strain are a baby's unpredictable feeding and sleeping schedules. Most babies do not sleep through the night until 3 to 4 months of age. Poor relationships may slow development of mental and social skills and cause failure to thrive. A doctor or nurse can discuss the temperament of an individual baby and offer the parents information on the development of babies and helpful tips for coping. The parents may then be able to develop more realistic expectations, accept their feelings of guilt and conflict as normal, and try to rebuild a healthy relationship. If the relationship is not repaired, the baby may continue to have problems later. Unrealistic expectations contribute to the perception of behavioral problems. For example, parents who expect a 2-year-old child to pick up toys without help may mistakenly feel there is a behavioral problem. Parents may misinterpret other normal, age-related behaviors of a 2-year-old child, such as the refusal to follow an adult's request or rule. A vicious circle pattern is a cycle of negative (inappropriate) behavior by the child that causes a negative (angry) response from the parent or caregiver, followed by further negative behavior by the child, leading to a further negative response from the parent. Vicious circles usually begin when a child is aggressive and resistant. The parents or caregivers respond by scolding, yelling, and spanking. Vicious circles also may result when parents react to a fearful, clinging, or manipulative child with overprotection and overpermissiveness. The vicious circle pattern may be broken if parents learn to ignore inappropriate behavior that does not negatively affect others, such as temper tantrums or refusals to eat. Redirecting the child's attention to interesting activities allows for the rewarding of good behavior, which makes the child and parents feel successful. For behavior that cannot be ignored, distraction or a time-out procedure can be tried. Discipline is more than just punishment—it is providing children clear, structured, age-appropriate expectations that allow them to know what is expected. Discipline problems are inappropriate behaviors that develop when structure is ineffective. It is much easier and more satisfying to both parents and children to reward desirable behavior than to punish inappropriate behavior. Efforts to control a child's behavior through scolding or physical punishments such as spanking may work briefly if used sparingly. However, these approaches generally tend not to alter the inappropriate behavior sufficiently and may reduce the child's sense of security and self-esteem. Moreover, spanking can get out of hand when the parent is angry. A time-out procedure can be helpful (see Behavioral and Developmental Problems in Young Children: The Time-Out Technique). However, punishments become ineffective when overused. Furthermore, threats that the parents will leave or send the child away can be psychologically damaging.