Is My Child's Behavior Normal?

Three Tips to Evaluate If Your Child's Behavior is Normal or Not

Sooner or later every parent wonders if her child's behavior is normal or abnormal. Sometimes we worry about whether our child is developing on track with his peers, or we may question the way she interacts socially or handles stressful situation. While some behaviors (like self mutilation or violence in an older child) may seem obvious, many other behaviors are a little more perplexing. Before you under-react or overreact to your child's behavior, here are a few tips for figuring out if it is within a normal range of behaviors...or not:

1. Is it harmful? It is common for toddlers and preschoolers to use aggression occasionally to get the results they want or to express their anger or frustration. It is also common for school-age children to have outbursts. The thing to consider is whether your child is intentionally being harmful and what his or her reasons might be for the behavior. If Suzy's sister teases her until she "loses control" then you'll need to address the cause as well as the behavior, but if a child is often aggressive for no known reason, then it may be a problem. The same goes for if your child is harming himself. Some babies and small children do bang their heads occasionally, but hurtful, repetitive self-harming behaviors should be evaluated by a specialist.

2. How often does the child perform the behavior in question? Something that has only happened once or twice, or occasionally is much less of a concern than something that happens often and in a repetitive way - despite your having tried to address it, could be a problem. It is rather common for children to try out something they've seen, or do something seemingly peculiar or strange to you, but if it becomes a regular behavior and it just doesn't seem "normal" or typical, then you should talk to your physician or a specialist.