The age or needs help?

Posted: Tue, Sep 28 2010, 2:51 am Post subject: the age or needs help?

My ds7 seems to always be up or down. He's either very angry and sad or hyper, there doesn't seem to be much middle ground. I would say about a year ago there was, but not anymore. Do you think it's the age and he'll grow out of it or should I get him some help? I plan on asking the psychologist in his school, but since I haven't yet, I'm asking here first. Thank you, I don't know if I should be concerned or not.

Posted: Tue, Sep 28 2010, 9:02 am Post subject:

is it a sudden thing? maybe ask him why he is acting the way he is. maybe something is bothering him. how is he is school? does he behave this way in school? if he does then I think you can speak to the school psychologist.
_________________
Esther 05/16/01 Zalman 09/11/02 Shoshana 05/22/04 Batya 11/05/08 Eliyahu 10/31/2011

You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they are going

Gold Member Joined: Mar 31 2010 Posts: 2094

It's not very clear from your post what sort of ups and downs you are talking about. Is it shifts in mood?... shifts in activity levels?... Different types of shifts can lead one to suspect different things. For example, with great shifts in mood, one might worry about an emotional problem, shifts in activity might lead one to think more of a sensory problem etc... (There's also a lot of crossover, especially in children , so it doesn't have to be so clear cut, but it would help to crystalize the possible issues. There are differences between sad and angry, and hyper and happy.)

It is perfectly normal for a 7 year old to still have extreme shifts but it shouldn't be so often, and it shouldn't be only one or the other with no middle ground.

You also need to know your own child. Some children are just a little bit more "intense" or "sensitive" and so more frequent ups and downs can be normal for their temperament. Since, you are worried, I would definitely consult with a professional who can discuss with you possible causes and direct you in ways of helping to calm your son and find his middle ground. It never hurts to get a little extra guidance even if it's a perfectly normal behavior and it's great to be vigilant to catch any potential issues right away.

Posted: Tue, Sep 28 2010, 10:14 am Post subject: re: the age or needs help?

He always had ups and downs, but also some middle ground. Lately, I haven't seen much middle ground. It's not to the extreme where one second he's all happy and hyper and the next minute he's sad and angry. Nothing is bothering him unless he's sad or angry. He's always been very emotional. I guess I should speak to the psychologist and maybe his teacher to see if he's like this there, too. Thank you.